The Mayor of Milano Beppe Sala has expressed his desire to make AC Milan and Inter reconsider their idea to leave San Siro, though he did say he would not be opposed if the decision was made to go elsewhere.
We outlined in our recent Substack update that there have been developments on the San Donato front, for Milan with the project variant being approved and a timeline now in place for the works.
However, the paper La Repubblica (via PianetaMilan) reported recently that a renovation project for San Siro will be presented on January 31, which is obviously today.
They stated that the works will cost €300m and would not force the two teams to find a new place to play during the time in which the works are ongoing.
Sala spoke before the presentation of the San Siro renovation project at the Palazzo Marino this afternoon and he revealed his stance on the plans of the two clubs.
“It is clear that as mayor of Milan I would do nothing to oppose hypotheses according to which the teams build a new stadium outside Milan,” he said (via MilanNews).
“This does not mean that I cannot reason with the fact that we must do everything to ensure that the teams remain in Milan. There are some reasons, such as police support for matches.
“Clubs in Italy are not capitalised. It remains clear, given [the alternative is] an investment of €900m far from Milan, having the opportunity to work on San Siro, why not do it?
“Inter expressed an interest in Rozzano, but no demonstrative actions have been made. Milan’s situation is different.
“The mayor of San Donato informed us of AC Milan’s presentation of an application for a new proprietary stadium in the San Donato area. The Council of San Donato have issued a resolution for the San Francesco area.
“The last formal conversation with the teams among us dates back to September 2023. We had asked them to communicate their intentions on the 2019 proposal.
“The teams responded separately, even with slightly different accents, underlining understandable notes, such as the opinion of the superintendence on the constraint of the second ring.
“In March there will be the outcome of the appeal we presented for the opinion of the superintendency. We believe that, unless the TAR decides otherwise, the constraint on the second ring of San Siro can be considered a certainty.
“At this point the teams must be in a position to respond to the September letter. We must clarify to Milan – and for information to Inter – whether the request from the Council of San Donato is to be understood as a renunciation of the 2019 Siro project.
“The main road for us becomes that of valorising San Siro. This is why it is important today to evaluate projects such as the one presented today with the hope that this will revive the interest of the teams or just one for San Siro.
“The cost of San Siro for the Council and for the Milanese clubs is around €100m. If there were an interest from the teams or just one, we would be open to solutions.
“The first hypothesis is that we carry out the works, the second hypothesis is that we could participate in the works with a partnership, the third (the most sensible) hypothesis is to cede the stadium in surface rights.
“We consider it the most interesting because the capitalisation of the stadium is important for the teams and because, with the works managed by a private individual, the redevelopment could be quicker.
“The asset value of €100m does not mean that the teams have to give us €100m. We could partially ask that it could also be used for a public function in some cases to lower the price, but the amount would be much more limited than what the two teams pay today.
“If there was the possibility of teams investing in the neighbouring neighbourhood it would be much more convenient for us.
“There are many common sense reasons to think that the San Siro option is the main option for us, This presentation of San Siro is very important.”
NO! You have messed us about for the LAST time Sala. You can keep the damned stadium. Let Inter have it. We’ve had quite enough of your nonsense.
Ignore that presentation and stick with new stadium plan. 300m euro renovating money but the stadium still owned by milano city, just wasting fund. If Inter interesting with Sala plan, let them renovating that old stadium alone
This sala dude is a clown.. Lol
🖕 Sala
Nope, Stick to the plan and get our own stadium. Inter can stay put.