The San Siro was once regarded as a footballing cathedral in Europe. Regardless of who the opponents were, there was an aura about the stadium that sent tingles down the spines of visiting teams and fans alike.
After almost a century in existence, AC Milan and Inter Milan recently finalised the purchase of the stadium from the local municipality.
The clubs have now revealed that they plan to demolish the current arena and replace it with a 71,500-seater stadium.
The condition of the San Siro has deteriorated over time, which is why the conversation about its demolition has been popping up in recent years.
Why is the San Siro being demolished?
The previous upgrade to the stadium was done before the 1990 World Cup, and if the city wants to host international fixtures going forward, the stadium must keep up.
UEFA excluded the current San Siro from the list of venues for the Euros in 2032 that Italy will be co-hosting with Turkey.
The state of the stadium is not modern enough to host such matches, and it does not offer the facilities that football teams of today require.
While modernising the stadium and upgrading its appearance is a realistic reason to demolish it, there is an underlying reason as to why both Milan clubs feel this is the right time to do it.
AC Milan & Inter struggle to compete with the best
Serie A was one of the best leagues in the world during the 1990s and early 2000s; however, since then, Italian football has been somewhat cast aside.
Apart from teams’ dwindling performances on the field, match attendances dropped drastically, and with that, their revenue and, as a result, some of the best clubs in the division have far less money to spend on players, especially in comparison to teams in the middle-to-lower sections of the Premier League.
With the Premier League scooping record amounts of money for broadcast rights, teams throughout the division are benefiting.
That type of deal is not available to Serie A, which is why the Milan clubs have decided to invest in a new stadium that will attract fans again.
Since the turn of the decade, more than half of Premier League clubs have spent more money on transfers than both Milan outfits, indicating the gaps in revenue.
Italy has been lagging with only nine stadium renovations or new builds taking place in the last 10 years, while there have been 24 such upgrades in the Premier League, 19 in the Bundesliga, 15 in La Liga and 10 in Ligue 1.
That disparity needs addressing, so do matchday facilities for fans, considering that attendance has fallen to 81%, compared to the Premier League’s 99%.
What’s next after San Siro demolition?
The Rossoneri and Nerazzurri have split the £173 million cost, like they have been doing with the stadium since 1947.
The owners have already tasked Foster + Partners and Manica to design the new San Siro, both companies headed by individuals who played a crucial role in the development of the new Wembley.
Currently, there is no completion date set, but the clubs are aiming to move in by the 2030-31 season, while the first design is set to be released in the first half of 2026.
AC Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni estimates that the cost of the project should be around £1.3 billion and is hoping to generate more revenue by using the new San Siro for uses other than football.
Since the new stadium will be adjacent to the current one, the teams will not be playing at another venue temporarily.
Only once the move is done will the San Siro be demolished, leaving nothing but memories behind.
FGG says: San Siro demolition a sign of the times
For a stadium that has been in existence for 99 years, the San Siro has had a great innings. If the Milan clubs want to move with the times and compete with opposition from other countries in terms of revenue and matchday facilities, they must embrace change, and so must the passionate people of Milan.