San Siro demolition: How have Milan, Inter fans reacted to Generali Stadium unveiling?

AC Milan and Inter have unveiled plans for the Generali Stadium, a 71,500-seat ground that will replace San Siro from the 2031-32 season, at a gala event at Milan's Castello Sforzesco on Thursday.

Designed by Foster + Partners and MANICA, the firms behind the new Wembley, the €1.2bn project is expected to enter construction in 2028, with San Siro set to be largely demolished once the new ground nears completion.

The unveiling was meant to mark an exciting new chapter for both clubs, but not everyone was in the mood to celebrate.

Football Ground Guide looks at what supporters have been saying about the new stadium and the demolition of one of Italian football's most famous grounds, having previously explored five of its standout features.

How did Inter ultras react to the Generali Stadium unveiling?

Shortly before the presentation began, a few dozen Inter ultras gathered in the castle courtyard, unfurled a banner reading “You will never extinguish the lights at San Siro” and chanted “Hands off our stadium”.

The protest was organised by Secondo Anello Verde, the group associated with Inter's Curva Nord, who have made their opposition to the demolition increasingly clear.

Their frustration had already surfaced on October 10, ahead of the Parma match, when the group claimed Inter had refused permission for three banners celebrating San Siro's centenary to be displayed in their curva. They subsequently announced plans to take a leading role in the fight to save what they call the “Scala del Calcio”.

🚨🇮🇹 Inter Milan fans gathered at Sforzesco Castle to voice their protest against new San Siro stadium project. Holding a banner echoing the famous phrase "Luci a San Siro, non le spegherele mai" ("Lights at San Siro, you will never turn them off), supporters sent clear message… pic.twitter.com/22caGZIw0I

— Ultras Clips (@ultras_clips) October 29, 2026

The group also stressed that their protest was not aimed at the players, manager or club itself, but at the decision to leave San Siro behind.

Reuters reports that politicians and local citizens' committees have also opposed the project since it was first discussed in 2019, arguing that a stadium which opened in 1926 deserves to be preserved.

How did social media users react to the Generali Stadium design and San Siro demolition?

Away from the organised protest, the new stadium has become a target for jokes online, with plenty of supporters unimpressed by its appearance.

Bild reported that some users compared the design to a washing machine or an air fryer, while others described it as soulless or said it looked more like a shopping mall than a football ground.

Comments gathered by The Sun reflected a similar mood. “Another soulless bowl,” read one, while another described the plans as “Sad and depressing”. One supporter thought the design resembled a lemon squeezer, while another asked: “Nice shopping mall. But for cheering on the team, where do we go?”

There was plenty of criticism beneath TNT Sports Football's Instagram announcement too. “San siro had aura now what's generali,” wrote one user, while another lamented the loss of “another iconic stadium” in favour of something “modern generic”.

Others described the new ground's structures as “fishbowls”, while an Italian-language commenter called it “really hard to look at” (translated). Several replies were simply crying emojis or a blunt “Noooo”.

Social media comments are not a representative survey, and making fun of the design does not necessarily mean opposing the move. However, many responses point to a bigger concern: whether a new stadium can recreate the atmosphere and character that made San Siro so special.

Do Milan and Inter fans support the new Generali Stadium?

Not everyone is against the change, and some believe both clubs need to move on from a ground that has served them for almost a century.

Former Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta told the Guardian last month that San Siro is “incredibly beautiful but it's not functional”. He also pointed to Arsenal's move from Highbury to the Emirates, suggesting that supporters can grow to appreciate a new home despite their initial reservations.

There were encouraging comments about the Generali Stadium online too. “Time to move on and it looks amazing,” read one response gathered by The Sun, while another offered a more conflicted view: “Shame to see the San Siro go, but this new stadium looks great.”

There was no comparable organised protest from Milan supporters at Thursday's unveiling, although that does not mean the plans have universal backing among the Rossoneri faithful.

On the r/ACMilan subreddit, one fan shared an edited image restoring San Siro's famous spiral columns and red roof beams, explaining: “I do get we need a new stadium, but for me San Siro are the spiral concrete columns and the red beams over the roof.”

Another supporter admitted: “I dont love the new stadium either,” but acknowledged that San Siro was falling apart and needed attention, before complaining that the replacement looked like “every modern stadium for the last 20 years”. A different fan was more impressed, describing the project as “way better than my fears”, although they still found it “kinda monotonous”.

The MilanWorld forum offered a similarly mixed picture. One member said the design “doesn't drive me crazy at all”, while another preferred the earlier “Cathedral” concept because it “seemed more original”. A third questioned whether this was the fifth or sixth stadium proposal to arrive with an impressive 3D video before the clubs ended up “back to square one” a few years later. (The MilanWorld comments are translated from Italian.)

FGG Says: San Siro demolition is a fight about identity, not just concrete

For many supporters, San Siro represents far more than football, carrying memories, atmosphere and a sense of identity built over generations.

Arsenal fans may understand that attachment, with Arsene Wenger once admitting that the club had “left our soul at Highbury” after moving to the Emirates. The Generali Stadium must now prove it can create the same sense of belonging for Milan and Inter supporters when it opens, rather than simply replace an iconic ground.