Legendary former AC Milan midfielder Demetrio Albertini feels that tearing down the San Siro looks to be necessary for Inter and AC Milan to keep up at the top of European football with a new stadium, but that it would still represent a great loss.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Il Giorno in an interview published in today’s print edition, Albertini weighed in on the prospect of demolishing the existing stadium to make way for a new one, balancing the technical and sentimental factors.
Inter and AC Milan are clearly determined to tear down the San Siro, and the reason for this is that the clubs feel that it would not be feasible for the existing stadium to coincide with their planned new structure which would improve revenues and modernize their infrastructure.
For his part, Albertini feels that there is a balance to be struck between emotion and reason but that at the end of the day the clubs must do what it best for the future.
“We’re talking about a stadium that has great history, but it’s not modern,” the former midfielder said. “It does not respect the needs of a modern team, it was made with respect to the needs of when it was built.”
“You can imagine what it will be like for me to leave it behind, it’s my home,” he reflected. “But the data is clear.”
On the prospect of modernizing the San Siro rather than tearing it down, Albertini said that “It’s one thing to speak from the heart and another is to be technical. You have to understand how much it costs and what it could give you.”
“The question is purely one of functionality,” he stressed. “The idea of hosting proper TV production at the San Siro is already difficult. We have to offer services.”
