The Fight To Save The San Siro

FourFourTwo

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…

Transcript

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.

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