Inter, AC Milan to replace San Siro with €1.2bn stadium
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineItalian football giants Inter Milan and AC Milan have unveiled plans for their new 71,500-capacity Generali Stadium, which is expected to replace the iconic San Siro from the 2031/32 season.
The design was presented on Thursday in Milan, with architects Norman Foster and David Manica highlighting plans to create a modern venue that would bring spectators closer to the pitch while preserving the atmosphere associated with the existing stadium.
Foster described the proposed structure as being shaped “low in the body, and it rises up at either end” behind the goals.
Manica, a stadium specialist who worked alongside Foster on the project, said the design prioritised proximity to the playing surface, with the stands behind the goals featuring a steep 37-degree incline.
“The most important thing that we realised when we designed this project is that the San Siro is a feeling,” he said.
“It’s more than a building, it’s a feeling, and everything that we needed to do here was to carry it into the (new) building”.
Explaining the architectural approach, Manica said the design team focused on bringing spectators as close to the action as possible.
“We started with proximity,” he said.
“We brought all the seats as close as possible to the field. They could not be any closer, it’ll actually feel as though you’re sitting on the grass,” he added.
The architects also paid particular attention to the stadium’s acoustics, with a roof designed to cover the stands while leaving the pitch exposed and helping to “amplify the roar” of supporters.
Manica said the steep design would create a more intimate atmosphere by bringing spectators closer to the field.
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“This building is steeper than many other new buildings are built today, and that’s intentional, because it allows us to bring those seats up and over the field as much as possible, and create that sense of intimacy and atmosphere,” he said.
The new stadium, sponsored by Italian insurance company Generali, will also be designed to host American football games, rugby matches and concerts.
Manica said the ambition was to recreate the emotional connection supporters currently experience at San Siro.
“I want the crowd to come to the new stadium and to feel that excitement that they felt before, and to feel the building, living and breathing with them as it does currently,” he said.
Inter and AC Milan paid €197m ($219m) to acquire the existing stadium and its adjacent parking areas, where they plan to construct their shared home.
The proposed project is estimated to cost €1.2bn, with the new venue expected to accommodate 71,500 spectators, compared with San Siro’s current capacity of 75,000.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028.
Foster and Manica have previously collaborated on the design of London’s Wembley Stadium.
San Siro, also known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, is one of the most recognisable football venues in Europe and the largest stadium in Italy.
Opened in 1926, the ground is often described as a “concrete cathedral” and has undergone several renovations over the decades. However, the two clubs believe it no longer adequately meets the needs of modern spectators and their sporting operations.
The historic stadium will be largely demolished once construction of the new venue approaches completion, marking the end of an era for the shared home of Inter and AC Milan.
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