CorSera: San Siro like Wembley – Milan and Inter turn to ‘global architectural giant’

AC Milan and Inter’s stadium project took another small step forward on Tuesday, but next Monday is expected to be the key day.

As Corriere della Sera (via MilanNews) recall this morning, a few hours before taking to the field against Lecce in the Coppa Italia, Milan – through a joint statement with Inter – announced yesterday that they had entrusted the design of their new stadium to a global architectural giant.

Lord Norman Foster has got the job, together with the American firm MANICA. The latter specialise in the construction of sports facilities around the world, so now everything passes over to the City Council.

Votes and inspiration

While awaiting the vote from the City Hall, scheduled for Monday, the two clubs wanted to send a strong message to their fans by entrusting the project to those who jointly designed the new Wembley Stadium in London.

Wembley is a good comparison too because the original iconic stadium with the ‘twin towers’ was not renovated, but razed and rebuilt from the ground up. This is exactly what will happen to San Siro (only a small section will remain).

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Paolo Scaroni spoke to Mediaset before the Lecce game and stated: “We want to have a stunning stadium, and that’s why we’ve chosen the best of international architecture. They built the new Wembley after demolishing the old one; they created a marvellous one. We want to do the same.”

The Rossoneri president has been following the new stadium project for years, but this time he’s optimistic that the finish line is truly within reach: “It’s a topic I’ve been working on for many years, at least 4-5 years. I feel like we’re on the home stretch, and I’m confident we’ll get there.

“I’m confident because ultimately, we need a new stadium for AC Milan, for Inter, for Milan, for international competitions, and I can’t imagine Milan not having a stadium where we can host cups, national teams, and everything UEFA requires of us, in addition, of course, to AC Milan and Inter.

Now the ball is in the City Council’s court, which on Monday must give final approval to the sale of San Siro to the clubs, so the project can really get moving forward.