🤑 Inter & Milan: new San Siro to boost profits, Real in sight? 🚀 | OneFootball

Just a few days ago, Inter and Milan became the owners of San Siro. A necessary step that paves the way for a new era for the two Milanese clubs.

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For years, there has been debate over whether to renovate the historic stadium or build a new one. Of course, the thought of demolishing a stadium like the Meazza, the stage for some of the most epic matches ever remembered, brings a tear even to the most detached fan. 

The issue, however, is economic. Modernizing San Siro—a bit like what Real Madrid did with the Bernabeu—would have exorbitant costs, not to mention that it would force Inter and Milan to relocate their home matches to a nearby, smaller stadium for the entire duration of the works, reducing revenues by 50-70% during that period. Real, for instance, managed it by "taking advantage" of Covid and therefore the impossibility of bringing fans to the stadium.

🤑 Money

But how will revenues change for the two clubs once the works are completed? Calcio&Finanza provides an overview, making it clear why Inter and Milan have chosen this path. To do so, they used data on the revenues of various clubs in their last year at the old stadium and their first year in the new one.

Among them are Juventus, Atalanta, and Udinese, but also Tottenham, Arsenal, and Real. The scenario is clear: in every case, the increase was dramatic, even reaching 171.3% for Juventus and 138.5% for Tottenham—not exactly the first club that comes to mind when thinking of the Premier League.

The results for the other two Italian clubs were also excellent; even though they don't have as large a fan base as the big clubs in the ranking, they still increased their revenues by 77.9% and 60%, respectively.

🤝 Inter and Milan

It's only natural, then, to think that two historic clubs like Inter and Milan—among the most successful and followed in the world—could significantly increase their earnings. According to an estimate by Transfermarkt, the new stadium will bring each club €180 million per year, compared to the €80 million (combined for both) they make today.

But how can such a significant increase be achieved? The answer is linked to several factors. The naming rights—that is, the possibility of giving the stadium the name of a sponsor—which, according to Inter and Milan, will bring in between €25 and €30 million (much more than what happens in Turin with Juventus, who receive between €7 and €10 million from Allianz); the increase in the cost of season tickets and matchday tickets, and everything related to the match-day experience; the possibility of using the stadium for other events, even outside of football.

And for those who turn up their noses, just consider that in 2023/24 Inter and Milan earned an average of €40.96 and €36.35 per spectator, respectively; Juventus €66.36, and Real and PSG even €137.33 and €133.07. A chasm, which then shows up in the club's accounts.

In short, the future must go through all this. In a country that has invested in new stadiums four times less than Hungary and ten times less than France and England, the step taken by Inter and Milan is necessary. With all due respect to those who still believe in a romantic football, in which a stadium like San Siro would never be demolished.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 STEFANO RELLANDINI - AFP or licensors