GdS: ‘Full steam ahead’ – Milan and Inter not worried about stadium despite UEFA deadline
AC Milan and Inter face a race against time for the city to be considered a venue for the 2032 European Championship.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, nobody wants Milano to be cut as a host city for Euro 2032, which will arrive in Italy (co-hosted by Turkey) and generate a turnover of €10bn. Milan and Inter are continuing the technical and bureaucratic work that is preparing the ground for the city’s new stadium.
At the moment, however, there is no certainty that the new San Siro will also be part of the list of venues. While the old Meazza has zero chance of being included among the five Italian stadiums for the event (it doesn’t meet many of the standards required by UEFA) the new stadium is another issue.
If it were to be built and opened, the ‘new San Siro’ would be the crowning jewel of such a highly anticipated event. This is provided that the strict timetable, now drawn up in every detail, is adhered to. It calls for the completion of the stadium in the summer of 2031, 12 months before the first game.
This is one of the required obligations, along with finalising the administrative aspects and financial coverage by early October and starting construction by March 2027.
Calm despite the deadline
The risk of setbacks along the way, with a time frame that leaves no room for deviation, requires football institutions to monitor Milan closely. Without raising alarms or shouting in the wind, this is the most concerning issue, as the two clubs behind the project know well.
There’s no concern inside the headquarters of Milan and Inter, if anything, even more determination. The only reasonable course of action is to move forward with the plan, following each step as if it were a written law.
Clearly, there are uncontrollable variations, foreseeable pitfalls to avoid, and the barrage of appeals destined to rain down on the project. Despite the difficulties, there’s a sense of both the need to move forward quickly and a certain optimism about the final goal being reached on time.
Moreover, rushing doesn’t mean skipping steps along the way. Even in this phase of paperwork and bureaucracy, public and private discussions are ongoing to analyse the technical details.
At the same time, work is also underway in the federal offices: by 1 October, the FIGC will have to indicate to UEFA the five cities of the Bel Paese (with some possible reservations) chosen and the related candidate stadiums.
The outcome of the appeals pending before the Lombardy Regional Administrative Court against the €197m sale of the stadium to the clubs is expected between August and September. The bulldozers are expected to begin moving rapidly from 2028 for three years straight, until the work is completed.
The next phase, starting in 2032, will involve the transformation of the current stadium site, starting with the demolition of the beloved old San Siro. On paper, everything is drawn out, including the cruising speed to be followed to overcome any doubts at UEFA.
Indeed, Inter and Milan are ready to lift part of the veil still shrouding the project, starting to lift the veil of mystery. They are expected to unveil the design of the new San Siro as early as October, even before the preparatory work for the future construction site begins.
