Vitiello believes Milan should feel ‘great regret’ over not pursuing solo stadium

Antonio Vitiello believes that AC Milan should feel some regret about not continuing with the San Donato project.

The big news that arrived overnight is that the green light came from the City Council vote regarding the deal that will see San Siro and the surrounding areas sold to Milan and Inter. It was far from certain what the outcome would be, but the clubs have got their wish, even if appeals are expected.

This has raised questions about the future of Milan’s plans for San Donato, if there are any, given that the club invested €55m to buy land there. It was originally meant to be the site of the new stadium, when the San Siro idea encountered obstacles, but other potential uses have since emerged.

Vitiello published his weekly column for MilanNews and – in addition to talking about the win over Napoli and the return of the Curva Sud – he offered some considerations on the new stadium.

“We conclude with the stadium. The victory of the ‘Yes’ vote for the sale of the sports facility to Milan and Inter is a historic event for the city. There will undoubtedly be appeals, but the process should lead to the construction of the new stadium by 2031, with the demolition of San Siro the following year.

“The cost to Milan and Inter for the acquisition of San Siro and the surrounding areas is approximately €197m, plus remediation costs. The new facility will cost €1.2bn and will seat 71,500 people across two tiers. Foster and Manica, the same firms that built the new Wembley Stadium, have already been commissioned to build it.

“There remains great regret at not having built a stadium solely for the Rossoneri. For example, the San Donato project was already well advanced, but it was shared with Inter due to a lack of financial resources on the part of the two owners.”