New Inter Milan stadium: San Siro demolition, WeBuild project & more

Despite the San Siro being saved from demolition by a government intervention, world-famous stadium architects Populous announced initial plans for a new Inter Milan stadium in Rozzano at the end of last year.

According to a local heritage commission in Milan, San Siro is regarded as a cultural centre. Thus, an earlier plan agreed upon by both clubs to demolish the football ground has been abandoned. It also means the current tenants of San Siro are seriously considering constructing their stadiums soon.

AC Milan have shared San Siro with AC Milan since 1947. However, the latter have enjoyed a longer stay at the iconic ground since 1926.

Inter Milan new stadium: Latest update

According to reports in Italy, Inter Milan have received a major boost in their hopes of moving to a new stadium in Rozzano. As things stand, the venue that Inter have their hearts set on is owned by the Cabassia Group, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, and in recent days the group have obtained a license to build a sporting venue.

According to the license they have obtained, the land now can be used for “cultural, sports and leisure services”. This is a huge indication that the Inter hierarchy have no intention of staying at the San Siro despite local figures desperate for both Inter and AC Milan to stay at the iconic venue now that it has been saved from demolition.

The license confirms that sporting arenas and stadiums can now be built on the land which is significant because Inter have a first-refusal right on it. This agreement is set to expire in April but should they need more time, they can extend for another year.

However, with one of the biggest hurdles now out of the way, and with the project effectively green-lit, the time has now come for the Nerazzurri to either fully commit to the project by purchasing the land from the Cabassi Group or ditch them altogether and focus on renovating the San Siro.

What happened to San Siro demolition plans?

It's important to note that the new Inter Milan Stadium will not be on the current site of the San Siro. For many years, it had been anticipated that AC Milan and Internazionale would rebuild San Siro. But with authorities saying that San Siro has ‘cultural interest' and so cannot be demolished, the two clubs are considering building their stadiums.

Inter and AC Milan had long been prepared for such a verdict and thus had been making alternative plans for some time.

It's also significant that with the San Siro demolition cancelled, AC Milan and Inter will no longer be looking to share the stadium.

San Siro was originally the home of AC Milan, from its construction in 1926 until 1947. At that point, Inter – who had been playing their home fixtures at the Arena Civic – began sharing with their rivals.

It was, and is, a marriage of convenience dictated by the lack of alternatives and the ease of sharing, which allows the clubs to share financial responsibilities towards the ground.

The City of Milan owns the stadium, with AC Milan and Inter acting as shared tenants.

However, the two clubs are now set to split.

WeBuild project

? Details of WeBuild’s project to renovate San Siro:

• 4 years of work without interrupting the ability to play matches at the stadium, finishing everything by January 2029
• Capacity reduced to 70,500 from the current 75,800
• 13,400 VIP seats (currently 2,900), 1,100 Sky… pic.twitter.com/QfxxHWGYld

— Inter Xtra (@Inter_Xtra) August 3, 2024

The newly proposed ‘WeBuild' project, which was first announced in June 2024, has given the pair of rivals a decision to make, with the Italian construction company presenting plans regarding a potential renovation of the San Siro.

Part of the plans put forward was to reduce the ground's capacity to around 30,000 while work is underway to ensure that any improvements can be made in both a safe and timely manner.

As is often the case in the modern era, the WeBuild project was designed to be completed in three separate phases, the first of which would start in the summer of 2025 if there were to be no delays. Developing aspects of the stadium's first tier, such as seating areas, is a key renovation during this phase.

The second and third phases would then predominantly focus on improvements that would be exterior to the ground itself, including increased accessibility and the transformation of the venue into a multi-purpose entertainment facility, similar to that of Camp Nou.

While these plans do demonstrate a way in which the San Siro could be successfully restored to greatness, certain aspects of the project have received backlash from fans, none more so than the proposed increase in the number of VIP seats while the capacity for regular seats would see a decrease.

All in all the ‘WeBuild' project is still in its infancy, and we will have to wait and see whether Inter Milan are willing to accept the proposal in its current form.

Where will the new Inter Milan stadium be?

Inter announced in mid-December 2023 that the club is “strongly committed to the project of a new stadium on the outskirts of Milano, in the municipality of Rozzano.”

Rozzano is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Milan. The proposed new ground for Inter Milan stadium is about an hour's drive from the current location where San Siro sits. The journey takes about 48 minutes if you are using a train from the centre of Milan. Future improvements on the current transport infrastructure will undoubtedly make the journey shorter.

What will the new Inter stadium look like?

A big bowl stadium with a standard, grey roof. Other details are unclear. Initial pictures suggest there'll be unique rings of plants around at least one side of the stadium, which will be situated in the middle of greenery and next to one big office block. Presumably, this latter structure will be for club employees, or perhaps it'll be a hotel.

What's the capacity of the new Inter Milan stadium?

The new Inter Milan stadium will have a capacity of 70,000. This is smaller than the 80,018-seater San Siro. However, the ground is not always full for Inter or AC Milan matches, and the club suggest comfort will be hugely enhanced at the new ground. It does seem a shame to reduce capacity, though.

The club statement says: “Outside the stadium,' a sports ‘town' and welcome areas for fans and everyone attending the district will be created.

“All of this will be accessible for 365 days a year and complement the surrounding park.”