Inter Milan has graced many grounds throughout its history as one of Italy’s most famous soccer clubs. However, none hold quite as much significance, both for the team’s success and the passion of its supporters, as the San Siro Stadium. From legendary moments on the field to atmospheric matchday experiences off it, there’s no place quite like this hallowed ground.
Why is San Siro so important to Inter Milan?
The San Siro Stadium holds great sentimental value for Inter Milan, having been the club’s home ground for nearly 80 years. It is where their history has been written, rivalries have been contested and countless victories celebrated. The stadium itself has become a symbol of the club’s identity, its iconic and instantly recognizable architecture are a perfect fit for an equally iconic team.
It is widely known that Inter Milan and AC Milan share the grounds, making for a unique and intense rivalry between the two clubs. Anyone who does bet online will know that matches between these fierce rivals are one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. The stadium is flooded with spectators on match day, making for an electrifying atmosphere for both fans and players.
The history of San Siro Stadium
Construction began on the stadium in 1925 in the San Siro district of Milan. Unlike other stadiums constructed around this time, the San Siro Stadium would be used exclusively for soccer matches, without any athletics tracks or other markings of an athletics stadium. The inaugural match took place on September 19th, 1925, with 35,000 spectators looking on as Inter Milan defeated AC Milan 6 to 3. This was quite a controversial match at the time, as San Siro was the official home of AC Milan. By 1947, Inter Milan became tenants, with the teams sharing the grounds to this day.
Major renovations and upgrades
By the time San Siro had been around for just shy of 25 years, the first major upgrade commenced. Initially, there was a vision to increase the stadium’s capacity to 150,000 spectators, however, this proved to be overly ambitious, forcing the capacity to be revised to a still impressive 100,000. Several security concerns were raised which resulted in there being a total capacity of 85,000.
The second major renovation took place between 1987 and 1990 in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. The team behind the project wanted to modernize the building as well as add a roof to ensure fans could watch matches come rain or shine.
In 1996, the stadium added a museum showcasing historical memorabilia for soccer fans to enjoy.
Notable matches
As the home grounds for both AC Milan and Inter Milan, San Siro has hosted numerous formidable matches and sporting events.
FIFA World Cup
San Siro has hosted FIFA World Cup matches several times, with three matches being held there for the 1934 World Cup and six matches in 1990.
Euro Cup
In 1965, Inter Milan won the Euro Cup finals at the prestigious stadium.
UEFA Nations League
The stadium hosted the UEFA Nations League finals in October 2021.
Winter Olympics
In addition to hosting soccer matches, San Siro will be adding another historical event to its impressive story by hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
Notable events
Despite initially being designed to host soccer matches exclusively, in modern times, San Siro is an incredible concert venue too. It has hosted some of the biggest names in the music industry, including:
- David Bowie
- Michael Jackson
- The Rolling Stones
- U2
- Madonna
- Beyoncé
- Rihanna
- Ed Sheeran
- Coldplay
The future of San Siro
Rumors have swirled about the potential construction of a new stadium for years. In 2021, AC Milan and Inter Milan both granted approval for the project to go ahead, despite their historical ties to San Siro. The clubs went on to controversially propose the demolition of their shared home stadium to make way for a green belt.
Conclusion
San Siro Stadium is undoubtedly one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world and has played an integral role in forming Inter Milan’s identity. One would have to question whether the club would be losing an irreplaceable part of its rich history if the demolition were to go ahead. However, with an injunction set to come into effect by 2025, it is looking more likely that San Siro is here to stay, with or without its original clubs.