Nerazzurri Corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello On New Stadium Debate: “Inter & AC Milan Can’t Solve All Of City Of Milan’s Problems”

Inter Corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello believes that Inter and AC Milan should not be subjected to unrealistic expectations or standards with regard to their new stadium plans.

Speaking to Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, the Nerazzurri executive made clear that it should not be the clubs’ responsibility to fix every issue in the city of Milan before they can secure approval for their stadium plans.

Inter and Milan are hoping that they can start work on their new stadium as soon as possible, with the ongoing public debate one of the major bureaucratic hurdles left before that can happen.

A number of issues related to public life and infrastructure related to the proposed new stadium have been raised in the process.

The clubs have been hoping that they can satisfy the city council and the public that all concerns have been sufficiently addressed.

However, Antonello made clear the clubs’ view that not every single issue in the city should be expected to be fixed before the clubs can move forward.

“We’re in a phase of preliminary planning,” he said, “all ideas will certainly be heard on our part, but it can hardly be expected that Inter and AC Milan will fix all of Milan and Lombardy’s infrastructual issues with this project.”

“We will try to do our best, but we don’t have unlimited resources to fix all the city’s problem,” he added.

“Unfortunately, at this moment we can say with certainty that the inauguration of the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will not take place in the new stadium,” he added.

“We hope to start construction work no earlier than 2024,” he added.

Asked if he expects that the rumours regarding Inter’s ownership and a possible sale by Suning could affect the new stadium project, Antonello replied “Absolutely not, this is a self-financing project.”

“However it goes, it must give sustainability to the clubs, and the possibility of returning to being competitive in Europe.”

“We see no critical issues,” he added, “it’s a strategic project for both clubs to return to being competitive.”

Antonello explained that “There will be an ad hoc financing vehicle for the project, it won’t weigh on the club’s coffers.”

Asked if he feels that the new stadium could affect the value of Inter, he noted that “It matters regardless of how the club is valued, it serves the two Milan clubs to reduce the gap compared to the biggest European clubs.”

“All the big European clubs have modern stadiums, and the resources that this new stadium would bring would be used to reinforce the squad and make the team more competitive,” Antonello added. “That’s the real goal.”

“Today the two clubs presented the project you’re seeing right now,” he said.

“We want a new stadium in the San Siro area,” he added, “we want a modern facility and if we can do it at San Siro it will serve to remind future generations that the clubs have a history of winning here.”