AC Milan’s long-mooted plan to build a new stadium in San Donato Milanese has been formally abandoned, with local authorities closing the administrative process that once supported the project.
The move marks a significant reset for the Serie A club’s stadium ambitions and leaves the future of a standalone Milan ground in question, despite ongoing work around the iconic San Siro site shared with Inter Milan.
The Municipality of San Donato Milanese announced it has officially terminated the administrative proceedings related to the proposed development of a new stadium in the San Francesco area, ending what was once AC Milan’s preferred route for constructing a modern, club-owned venue outside the city.
Council representatives met with regional officials, transport authorities and urban planners to formally close the file, though they stressed the land remains available for future uses.
Background and what was planned for the AC Milan stadium project
The San Donato project had been in discussion for years as part of AC Milan’s effort to escape the limitations of San Siro, which the club shares with city rivals Inter Milan.
Initial proposals involved building a state-of-the-art, 70,000-seat stadium complete with club facilities, museum space and integrated transport links, a vision that aimed to match the club’s global brand and commercial potential.
For a time, the San Donato site was seen as the most viable location for a new Milan ground, offering space for modern infrastructure and supporting urban regeneration.
Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni previously outlined ambitions for such a development, which he hoped would position Milan at the forefront of European football venues.
However, the complex planning environment and regulatory hurdles gradually slowed progress before the project was ultimately shelved by the local authority.
While the San Donato plan is no longer proceeding, Milan have continued to focus on an alternative route to modernise their stadium situation.
Alongside Inter, the club completed the purchase of San Siro and its surrounding land in a multi-club deal that paves the way for a joint redevelopment project on the ground they already occupy.
That scheme, backed by architectural firms Foster + Partners and MANICA, is designed to replace the iconic facility with a new 71,500-seat arena, while retaining revenue and heritage links to the city.
Under those plans, the current San Siro would remain in use until the new stadium, expected to host domestic and European fixtures, is completed, with demolition and construction tentatively scheduled to begin in 2027 and finish ahead of a projected 2030-31 season opening.
FGG Says
The collapse of AC Milan’s San Donato stadium plan is a reminder that even the biggest clubs cannot always dictate their own infrastructural destiny without navigating the tangled web of local politics, planning hurdles and community priorities.
While the San Donato project promised autonomy and a tailored home, its demise underscores the value of pragmatism, and perhaps the appeal of the San Siro redevelopment as the most realistic option.