Rossoneri's Bold Bet: Milan and Inter Plan a New San Siro by 2031
4 October 2025
Timeline and Scope
AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni announced that the Rossoneri’s new stadium, replacing the iconic San Siro, is targeted to be ready for the 2030-31 Serie A season, with construction kicking off in 2027. The project is led by Milan in partnership with Inter, and it has earned the City Council's approval this week. San Siro will be demolished to make way for a more modern complex.
Scaroni told Football Italia that the aim is to complete the stadium in 2030, with work starting in 2027. First, the clubs must agree to buy the old stadium, a necessary step before demolition, with the sale expected by month’s end.
Heritage and Financials
The plan includes a broader redevelopment of the San Siro area with commercial and residential buildings, and obtaining planning consent is projected to take more than a year. Last week the Milan City Council voted to sell San Siro and the surrounding 28 hectares to Milan and Inter, after a marathon session finishing in the early hours by a 24-20 vote with two abstentions.
Milan and Inter will pay €197 million for the current stadium and nearby car parks, with plans to share use of the new venue. The new stadium is set to hold 71,500 spectators and cost around €1.2 billion; Foster + Partners and Manica are named as architects.
San Siro, opened in 1926, is one of Europe’s most famous stadiums and is often likened to a cathedral-like fortress, though it has long struggled to meet modern needs. Inter and Milan have shared it since 1947 after Milan had once owned it (1926–1935) and then leased it as the host club.
With Euro 2032 co-hosted by Italy and Turkey, a new 71,500-seat stadium will be built on the western side beside the current venue, keeping matches in the San Siro district but moving to a greener, updated setting. The solution is seen as preferable to threats of moving to separate stadiums in other suburbs.
News outlets highlighted the reasons for shared use, including maintenance of a historic venue and avoiding a split in the two clubs. The report notes Milan's early history in 1926 and 1935 sale to the city; Inter played at the Arena Civica before sharing San Siro from 1947, when it was still more modern and spacious.
As Europe’s top competition shapes up, the plan envisions a modern, multi-purpose area around San Siro, with a largely livable district and commercial facilities. UEFA's Ceferin has argued for improved Italian infrastructure, criticizing the current balance and urging local authorities to act. Sassuolo's Mapei Stadium is cited as a newer benchmark built in 1994, while most Italian venues lag behind.
San Siro’s centenary will be celebrated next year, even as it hosts the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The project began in 2018, faced delays due to COVID-19 and ownership issues, and was revived with Foster + Partners and Manica providing a fresh design along with new ownership structure.
Financial realities remain harsh: Paolo Maldini remarked in 2020 that while playing at San Siro is magical, the stadium has not kept pace with Milan and Inter’s ambitions. Revenue per match in Italy lags behind England; Real Madrid’s Bernabéu generated around €362 million last season, roughly four times Milan’s current figure from San Siro. Inter, for its part, has reached two Champions League finals in three seasons, but Marotta has warned that Milan risks losing global prominence if the venue and surrounding business do not modernize, while San Siro retains historic charm that could fade if neglected.
Punchline 1: If you think this plan is only about steel and concrete, you’re underestimating the mortgage—the real heavyweight on the balance sheet.
Punchline 2: They say you can’t put a price on history, but apparently you can put 1.2 billion on a new one—and that’s the signature on the invoice.
