MN: Why Milan and Inter are calm despite Council request over new stadium plan

By: Oliver Fisher

A potential obstacle has already arisen after the Generali Stadium announcement, even if all parties remain calm for now.

As MilanNews recall, Tuesday morning’s edition of Corriere della Sera carried a report that had everyone on edge, just days after the renderings of the project were published. However, by the afternoon some quite important clarifications had arrived from Mayor Giuseppe Sala.

The newspaper reported that the Milan City Council had approved a bipartisan measure to halt the current environmental assessment process for the Generali Stadium project and request a new one that encompasses all the interventions the two clubs intend to undertake.

This includes the demolition of the current stadium once the new stadium is operational. The goal is to make the green light for the work conditional on a prior Health Impact Assessment (HIA).

MilanNews have learned that the City Council’s motion is non-binding, meaning Mayor Sala’s administration will not be obligated to follow the council’s request. More importantly, it does not suspend the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

The two clubs remain calm regarding the next phases, especially since the SEA and the VIS are two separate and distinct phases that must both be addressed before work on the new stadium can begin.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a procedure established by Italian and European legislation that evaluates the environmental sustainability of a plan or program prior to its approval.

It differs from the subsequent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which instead examines the environmental effects of a specific project prior to its potential authorisation and implementation.

The Council has therefore advanced a request that would not currently be foreseen under normal formal procedures. In any case, the two clubs are confident in the material produced, providing even more than necessary by integrating the Environmental Report with all the health-related details currently available.

Milan and Inter have no intention of avoiding any type of assessment. On the contrary, the EIA is scheduled for early 2027, by spring, with completion expected within a few months. Further investigations into the project and its impacts will therefore be undertaken shortly, as per the timetable.

Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Sala issues a statement on the news that broke, once again emphasising that the project will move forward.

“It’s clear that continuing to call the stadium issue into question is a gift to the right. I don’t want us to delude ourselves into thinking we’ve already won. I respect the City Council’s opinion, but the Council will respect the fact that I have no intention of reconsidering,” he said.

“We’ll discuss it in the City Council, but I have no intention of reconsidering the stadium. We’ve been talking about it for three years; everyone should do what they think best. I will continue to be consistent, and I will try to move forward with the stadium project.”

Councillor Martina Riva also gave a comment to MilanNews too: “Small obstacles? They won’t be a problem, we are convinced of the validity of our operation and we will move forward: the city, the teams and the fans who want a fully accessible stadium deserve it.

“I really like the Generali Stadium, it has exceeded all expectationsaccessibleI really like the Generali Stadium, it has exceeded all expectations.”

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