Milan Council greenlights sale of San Siro to Inter and AC Milan | OneFootball

The future of San Siro has taken a decisive step after Milan City Council approved the sale of the stadium site to Inter and AC Milan.

The vote passed on Tuesday with 24 councillors in favour and 20 against, helped by a number of abstentions which lowered the threshold for approval.

The decision clears the way for the two clubs to press ahead with plans for a new, privately owned stadium on the same site.

Due diligence on the deal is expected to be completed in early November, after which the sale will be formally ratified.

San Siro, officially known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, has been home to AC Milan since 1926 and was shared with Inter from 1947.

It remains the largest stadium in Italy with a capacity of more than 80,000, and will host the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics before major redevelopment work begins.

The project will see around 90 per cent of the current structure demolished, with the remainder retained as part of the wider redevelopment.

The clubs are yet to confirm where they will play during the construction phase, but hope to have the new stadium ready in 2031, in time for Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host with Turkey.

Architectural firms Foster + Partners and MANICA have been appointed to lead the design, with an ambition to build a state-of-the-art venue within a new social hub in the San Siro district.

Foster + Partners are also leading work on a proposed 100,000-seat stadium for Manchester United.

The vote followed weeks of debate in Milan’s city council chamber. Supporters of the project pointed to the long-term benefits of investment, job creation and infrastructure upgrades, while critics questioned the financial model and the impact on the city’s heritage.

Forza Italia councillors abstained, admitting flaws in the proposal but recognising the potential for regeneration.

Amendments were included to ensure the new stadium meets accessibility standards and delivers sustainability targets, reflecting wider concerns about the environmental and social footprint of the project.

Previous attempts by the clubs to build a new stadium had been derailed by political opposition and heritage regulations. In 2023, Milan even announced plans for a standalone project elsewhere in the city, before suspending it the following year.

UEFA’s decision in 2024 to move the 2027 Champions League final away from San Siro underlined the urgency for clarity over its future.

Tuesday’s vote now gives Inter and Milan the platform to finally modernise one of football’s most iconic venues.