Inside Inter Milan, AC Milan's new home: £1bn stadium touted as catapult for their rise
Inter Milan and AC Milan have joined hands in demolishing the San Siro in a bid to build 'the best stadium in Europe' as they hope to return to former glory.
Despite their eternal rivalry, Inter Milan and AC Milan share the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in San Siro and are pressing ahead with their plans to build a stunning, state-of-the-art £1 billion stadium. The San Siro stadium is one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world and is steeped in over 100 years of history, having hosted World Cup matches as well as four European Cup finals. However, like their European contemporaries, both Inter Milan and AC Milan have decided it's time to move away from the San Siro into a state of the art facility to welcome the 'next generation' of fans.
Milan new stadium: Inter Milan, AC Milan's plans behind the new stadium
(Image Credit: Nuovo Stadio Milano)
Inter Milan CEO Alessandro Antonello and AC Milan chief Ivan Gazidis are of the view that the facilities inside the San Siro stadium are lacking in lots of different ways and it is time to move away from the iconic venue. While the San Siro has a lot of emotional attachment for the supporters, Milan's new stadium is aimed at making it a better environment to watch football. The new Milan stadium which will be again shared by both AC and Inter Milan is designed by architects Populous, the company behind Tottenham's state of the art new stadium. The new stadium aims to make most of the space available around San Siro - The Cathedral and The Rings of Milan. The Cathedral, inspired by two of Milan's most recognisable buildings, the Duomo and the Galleria, results in a striking glass facade and seating mechanism which promises to be the most devoted in Europe.
(Image Credit: Nuovo Stadio Milano)
Meanwhile, The Rings of Milan is made up of two interlocking rings to embody both Milan clubs, with the faces of more than 16,000 fans present around the outside of the stadium. Designed by Sportium/Manica, the company behind the renovation of the Nou Camp and Wembley, it uses a technology that will see a vast number of LEDs switch from red and black to blue and black, depending on whether Inter Milan or AC Milan are playing at home.
While Milan's new stadium will have a capacity of just 60,000 compared to the 80,000 the San Siro currently boasts, the huge improvement in hospitality packages will help generate revenues to rival the richest clubs in Europe. Currently, Both AC Milan and Inter Milan generate €34 million from their stadium, compared to the €100m other European clubs make.
Inter Milan and AC Milan both believe that the new stadium will fuel the improvement in their sides, with the clubs having fallen from grace over the past decade. AC Milan have only reached the UCL quarter-final once after lifting the trophy in 2007 and qualified for the Europa League in 2017-18 and 2018-19 after a three-season European drought. Inter Milan on the other hand, have played in the Champions League only four times after winning it in 2010 and were relegated to the Europa League this term. On the domestic front, Juventus have dominated, winning nine consecutive titles.
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(Image Courtesy: Nuovo Stadio Milano)
Published By : Sreehari Menon
Published On: 17 August 2020 at 19:23 IST