This afternoon, Beppe Marotta, the Inter president, discussed a few things of interest about the plans for the new San Siro and the partnership with AC Milan.
It became increasingly apparent that Milan and Inter needed to do something about San Siro last year. With UEFA looking for other hosts for big events, the clubs needed to find a new home or fix the current one.
However, the cost of repairs against the cost of a new stadium made it unlikely that both would commit. So, it looked like the duo were going to split and play at different stadiums.
After evaluations, though, both decided to proceed with a plan to buy San Siro and build a new stadium.
Marotta provides San Siro update
Earlier today, Paolo Scaroni spoke to the media at the Stadi 5.0 event, and Marotta was also present, so he offered a few words, too, as provided by Calciomercato.com.
Sharing with Milan…
“Why the shared stadium? Because it’s a unique foundation, history speaks for itself: both AC Milan and Inter played at San Siro for decades. Milan is AC Milan and Inter, and it’s logical to continue this journey because both have visionary ideas.”
San Siro ‘obsolete’…
“Today, the required standards are no longer met: it’s only natural that we need to build a stadium that represents modern standards, in terms of safety, attendance, and hospitality.
“The stadium must be seen as a facility that can be enjoyed 24/7: San Siro no longer meets these requirements, it’s getting older. In Italy, the average stadium is around 60 years old: all these structures pose problems.
“Hence the need for a new stadium, one that respects the emotions and values that San Siro has engendered: it’s an icon and must be treated as such.”
Inefficiency in Italy over finances…
“A source of inspiration for others? Numbers matter: in the last 20 years, 250 new stadiums have been built in Europe, and only five of them in Italy. We are at the bottom of the list in this regard; the facilities are a negative aspect of our sporting heritage.
“But that’s certainly not the fault of this government, but of politics, which perhaps has given too little prominence and space to an asset like stadiums. It’s normal for a club to embark on a very difficult path: a much smoother path should be found. It’s not a question of money; capital can be found, as in our case.
“The problem is the bureaucracy, which is very rigid and often becomes the tool that drives away potential investors.”
When is the opening?
“Will Milan host Euro 2032? The hope is to have a new stadium in place by 2030, slightly earlier. To think that Milan won’t be among the stadiums hosting European Championship matches is unimaginable.
“Milan must be present, and Oaktree and RedBird’s investments are in keeping with this: our owners have done so much to get here and want a stadium by that date. To imagine it not being there would mean we’d run into bureaucratic problems, certainly not the owners’ will.
“When will construction begin? We’re still in the initial phase, where authorisations from the Municipality and the Region are still needed: we’ll then move on to the design phase, which will be developed by Foster and Manica.
“They are two icons of sports architecture and more. The goal is to be able to play the first match by 2030.”
Such a handsome young man. And honest & decent too. Perfect spokesperson for the club he represents. 😂