Milan’s iconic stadium has been set for demolition for years, yet uncertainty rumbles on. As FFT discovers, not everyone agrees with the plan – even Bruce Springsteen…
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00:00Believe it or not, the main inspiration for the San Siro, undeniably one of continental
00:09Europe's most iconic pieces of footballing architecture, was England.
00:14No, genuinely, all the way back in 1925, AC Milan club president Piero Pirelli ordered
00:20construction of a new stadium inspired by the pure football ideology of the English.
00:26That didn't mean he wanted a corrugated iron roof and one of those little vans outside
00:30that does naught but those fat sweaty burgers, but rather it was to be ONLY a football stadium.
00:37No other facilities, no athletics track, just a pitch that the fans felt like they were
00:42on top of.
00:43Nearly 100 years later, and as the city's landscape evolves, so too does the debate
00:48around whether to preserve or demolish San Siro, now one of the most unmistakable sporting
00:54stadiums in the whole world.
00:55If you're driving into Milan, the stadium is impossible to miss.
00:59Its enormous roof beams, perched 80m above the ground, are visible from the flat cityscape.
01:05From the tram, you get glimpses of the structure's distinctive trusses, while the metro offers
01:10a tantalising first sight as you emerge from the underground, revealing the stadium's
01:16colossal form.
01:17The experience of seeing San Siro in person is truly awe-inspiring.
01:22Its columns, its ramps and its towering roof are emblematic of the stadium's grandeur,
01:27but amidst all of this, there's this increasing push to tear the whole thing down.
01:33At the heart of this argument for demolition is financial need.
01:37Milan and Inter, the two footballing giants sharing the stadium, believe that a new arena
01:41is essential to increase their revenue streams and remain competitive with the top clubs
01:46in Europe.
01:47San Siro, despite its legendary status, offers limited commercial opportunities, lacking
01:52modern amenities and the income-generating potential of newer venues.
01:56Without a new stadium, the clubs feel that they risk falling behind.
01:59But this is, of course, easier said than done.
02:02As of now, the future of San Siro is mired in a mix of bureaucracy, of politics and public
02:08opinion.
02:09The stadium opened in 1926, originally quite a modest venue in the city known for its sports
02:15architecture.
02:16Over the years, it underwent significant upgrades, most notably in the 1950s when it gained its
02:20distinctive exterior, with its sloping concrete ramps that now characterise the entire ground.
02:26By 1990, with the addition of this third tier, the stadium was ready for the World Cup and
02:31became one of the most renowned footballing arenas across the globe.
02:35In 2019, Milan and Inter unveiled a plan to build a new stadium on the exact same site.
02:41The proposal was met with fanfare, but also significant opposition.
02:46Milan and Inter's ownership groups, especially the American Redbird Capital, see the new
02:50stadium as an opportunity to boost their revenue, drawing in corporate sponsorships, hosting
02:55concerts and even NFL games.
02:58The existing venue, they argue, is stuck in the past, offering little more than a monument
03:03with few commercial offerings and little in the way of modern conveniences like restaurants
03:07or cafes.
03:08Alessandro Giacobone, a red and black-blooded reporter who runs a Milan fan club and dedicates
03:13his life to following the team, is among those who see the stadium as holding the team back.
03:18While he loves San Siro, he told 442 in our recent feature on the stadium that the future
03:23of both Milan clubs is tied to the modernisation and their ability to increase revenues.
03:29Milan's new owners, backed by a $1.2 billion investment, are eager to move forward with
03:34the project and he notes that the American approach to business is much less patient.
03:39Time is money, he told us, reflecting the owner's desire for a more profitable modern
03:43home for the club as soon as possible.
03:46But fans like him who have grown up with San Siro are far from the only ones invested in
03:50the stadium's future.
03:52Many people feel the stadium is irreplaceable.
03:55San Siro is not just a football ground, it's a cultural monument intertwined with the city's
04:00history.
04:01The monument extends beyond sport, symbolising Milan's ability to transform while retaining
04:06its unique identity.
04:08This sentiment is echoed by Luigi Corbani, former vice-president of Milan, who argues
04:12that San Siro is the people's stadium and should not be reduced to a mere financial
04:17asset.
04:18For him, the demolition of the stadium would be a loss of something far more precious than
04:23just some building.
04:24It would erase the collective memories of generations of football fans.
04:29The stadium also holds a special place in the hearts of millions because of its historical
04:33significance.
04:34Over the years, it's hosted countless legendary players and pivotal moments in football.
04:40From the Derby della Maradona to European finals, San Siro has provided a stage for
04:45some of the greatest matches in the entire history of the game.
04:48The passion of the supporters is palpable.
04:51When the Curva Sud and Curva Nord create tifos, the entire stadium becomes a canvas of footballing
04:57devotion.
04:58For the Inter fans, though, San Siro is also deeply ingrained in their club's identity.
05:03However, some, like lifelong supporter Nema Ruzzari, acknowledge that it might be time
05:08to move on.
05:09With the club's differing financial situations, Milan are flush with investment and Inter
05:14are facing more pressure to secure funding, the question of whether the two teams will
05:17even continue to share a stadium is also in limbo.
05:21AC recently announced a new potential site for their stadium, a plot of land near La
05:27Mura.
05:28The club, however, claim to have identified their own secret location outside of the city.
05:32The lack of clarity and constant back and forth is a testament to not only the complexity
05:38of the issue, but the importance of getting it right.
05:40As the clubs battle it out, the city's politics are, unsurprisingly, also playing a significant
05:46role.
05:47The mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala, finds himself caught between the desires of the clubs, the
05:51preservationists and the city's broader interests.
05:54In a situation made all the more complicated by conflicting political statements, the mayor's
06:00job is to make a decision that somehow satisfies everyone.
06:03A task that seems, for anybody looking from the outside in, nearly impossible.
06:08The recent tug of war over the stadium's status, fuelled by political manoeuvring,
06:13shows just how tangled the situation has become.
06:16At the centre of this debate is the ongoing push by the Si Meazza committee, led by figures
06:21like Corbani, to preserve the stadium at any cost.
06:25Their fight is not just about architecture, it's about defending a cultural symbol.
06:29The committee has even gained support from international figures like Bruce Springsteen,
06:33who has expressed sympathy for their cause, stating that demolishing a stadium like San
06:37Siro, and this is a quote by the way, would mean destroying the soul of the people who
06:42were inside.
06:43While the political football is going to continue, probably forever, a key event looms on the
06:48horizon.
06:49In January 2026, San Siro will host the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
06:54By then, the city will have a new mayor, and the lease deal with Milan and Inter will have
07:00expired.
07:01The pressure to make a decision is mounting, but the path forward remains increasingly
07:05unclear.
07:06Milan's two giants may well have finished first and second in last season's Serie
07:10A, but both got badly shown up on the European stage.
07:14Milan failing to even get out of their group, while Inter allowed a first leg lead to slip
07:18against Atletico Madrid, and were dumped out in the round of 16.
07:22This, they say, is proof of how desperate the need for new investment is, but as the
07:27situation develops, the future of this stadium is now more uncertain than it ever was.
07:32Whether it is ultimately demolished to be rebuilt as some European superstadia, or somehow
07:38preserved as the icon of cultural heritage it is, one thing is clear.
07:44The stadium, if you can even call it a stadium, will always be so much more than just an arrangement
07:50of concrete and steel girders.
07:52It's a symbol of Milan's identity, a place where history was and continues to be made,
07:58and where the battle for its future continues to be waged, both on the pitch and off it.