April 06, (THEWILL) – Both AC Milan and Inter have stated that they are willing to relocate their teams outside of Milan in order to find a new stadium.
The two clubs, who have shared San Siro since 1947, have authorised a project to create a new, modernised stadium on the same location as their current pitch, although construction is not anticipated to be completed until at least 2027.
Both clubs have been frustrated by the delay, which has led to rumours that the entire idea could be scrapped – something Milan mayor Beppe Sala recently dismissed.
AC Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni has admitted that the club would be happy to leave Milan if it meant moving to a new stadium sooner.
Scaroni said: “I expected this to be faster, especially since we’re in Milan. The stadium project is for everyone, fans and non-fans. Unfortunately, we know that Italian bureaucracy often does not make things easy.
“Milan and Inter have the same vision because they have the same ambitions. A stadium is a key, if not the most important, ingredient of success. It is incredible that, in a city like Milan, we don’t have a state-of-the-art stadium, as is the case in other European cities.
“What’s happened is that this is no longer a project of Milan and Inter, but instead of the municipality of Milan. That’s why we are looking outside Milan. We will accept the project with the shortest development times, we urgently need a new stadium.”
Of like mind is Inter director Alessandro Antonello, who added: “We started with a lot of enthusiasm, but unfortunately, the Italian system does not help with infrastructure and particularly not in sports. We appealed to the law on stadiums but the time was prolonged.
“I am a businessman, and like all other entrepreneurs, I need guarantees. We want to follow the rules but these need to be accompanied by certain deadlines because uncertainty is still difficult for investors to accept.
“The times now are really long. In three years, other countries would have found themselves with a job that is now finished.
“Would we go to another municipality? We always have alternative plans. The goal is to move to a new stadium as soon as possible. It’s an option that is being evaluated and studied. When we have all the details, we will make the decision that is best for the clubs, which is having a new stadium as soon as possible.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
