Despite reaching the final of the Champions League in the previous edition, Inter Milan must build a modern new stadium to keep pace with Europe’s biggest clubs in the long run.
The Nerazzurri have been sharing the San Siro Stadium with their crosstown rivals AC Milan since 1947.
Like the vast majority of football stadiums in Italy, the ground is owned by the city council, therefore limiting the club’s matchday revenues.
In 2019, the two Milanese giants started cooperating on a shared project aimed to modernize the San Siro Stadium.
Nevertheless, a plethora of bureaucratic hurdles derailed their plans. Earlier this year, the local authorities imposed a restriction prohibiting the demolition of the stadium due to its historical and cultural significance.
The clubs perceived this act as the final nail in the coffin of the new San Siro project.
Since then, the two sides have gone in separate directions, each pursuing its own project. While Milan are looking to construct their new ground in San Donato, Inter are laying the groundwork for a stadium in the Rozzano region.
The 19-time Italian champions are hoping to inaugurate their new home by 2028 or 2029.
Needless to say, owning a new stadium would be a major boost for the club on all levels.
While Italy is amongst the most prestigious footballing nations, it remains miles behind in terms of infrastructure. Juventus were considered pioneers when they inaugurated their own stadium in 2011.
Thus, fans and observers alike feel that it’s past time for Inter to follow the path of their arch-rivals and build themselves a new stadium.
In addition to generating higher revenues and offering their supporters a more enjoyable matchday experience, a modern stadium can also serve as a hub for various social, sporting, and entertaining activities.
For instance, Tottenham Hotspur built the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the US. This paved the way for a long-term partnership between the Premier League side and the National Football League, marking the stadium as the “Home of the NFL In the UK”. Most recently they hosted a game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans. The Ravens are the fifth favourites to win the Super Bowl in the NFL odds this year, so they were under pressure to put on a show as British fans now could be joining the Ravens Flock.
The game attracted viewers from around the world so one could only imagine what impact a collaboration with the most popular sport in the USA would have on a club from a financial and marketing standpoint.
So Perhaps Inter can take a page out of Tottenham’s book and build the first NFL-designated stadium in Italy.
Since the Nerazzurri are set to build a new stadium from scratch, now it’s time to consider these aspects and add some exciting features to the design.
