Milan Mayor Beppe Sala feels that at this point, the plans of Inter and AC Milan to build a new stadium in Milan to replace the San Siro are further and further away from reality.
Speaking after the meeting with the teams this morning, as reported by FCInter1908, the Milan Mayor explained that from his perspective, neither of the two clubs are interested in staying at the San Siro any longer.
Whilst Inter and Milan have been pursuing plans to build a new stadium to replace the existing San Siro for a few years now, the sense is that the Rossoneri in particular have turned their back on the project out of frustration with the mounting bureaucratic delays.
From Milan Mayor Sala’s perspective, both clubs have essentially made their minds up.
Speaking after a meeting with the club, which Inter Corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello already addressed, Sala made clear that he feels the will is no longer there from either club to push forward with the San Siro plans.
“Antonello has said essentially everything there is to say,” the Mayor said, “the idea of a single stadium for both teams remains alive, but Milan officially confirmed today that they are looking at a new area, and that they’re seriously interested in building on their own.”
“I’m surprised because this came out in the media already,” Sala noted, “so I was put in the uncomfortable position of reading all of this in the newspaper, and for that reason I called this meeting with the clubs today.”
“The process of approving the plans to build near the Meazza stadium is still going ahead, but I’ve asked Milan to respond within two or three weeks to our request, which is for a complete financial-economic plan, or else abandon the idea altogether.”
“Accordingly, we’re at a standstill for the time being while we wait for Milan to resolve this doubt,” Sala said.
The Mayor then noted that “Inter have informed me that they’re also looking at another area outside the city of Milan, they haven’t specified where however due to the fact that they have a confidentiality agreement.”
Sala made clear that “If there’s one thing that has been made abundantly clear it is this: No one wants San Siro anymore.”
“This would be a problem for the Municipality, but let’s take it one step at a time and see, let’s wait and see what happens in the next few weeks.”
Sala stated that “I feel a certain bitterness as the Mayor, as a citizen and as a fan, but by now it’s a situation we’ve come to fully understand.”
The Mayor also maintained that “I’ve always said that the new stadium, if built in the immediate vicinity of the existing San Siro, would not allow for the possibility of the stadium to continue to stand, it would be a disaster for the citizens.”
“If they were to build in the La Maura area (Hippodrome of San Siro) then the situation would change,” he added.
As far as what would come of the existing San Siro if the clubs do not demolish it to make way for a new stadium, Sala stated that “It’s not something that can come under the control of the Municipality.”
“The only realistic option would be for it to come under the control of those who want to use it for concerts and events, maybe interested parties would come forward,” he went on.
Sala noted that “Inter have said that they don’t see any other possible areas to build within the city of Milan, but if we take look at all the possible locations already mentioned, San Siro, San Donato, Sesto, and La Maura, if another area hasn’t taken off in all this time, it’s because it doesn’t exist.”
The Mayor added that “The La Maura idea would be difficult, but Milan have told me that they want to build a stadium and then also areas dedicated to the women’s and youth teams.”
Asked if he thinks that the expenses of playing at the San Siro are a problem for Inter and Milan, Sala replied “I don’t think so, but the cost isn’t the problem – it’s the revenues, the teams feel they can’t make up the revenues they need.”
“In terms of bookkeeping the San Siro is worth so little that the Municipality could almost sell it to one of the two clubs at a bargain price,” he noted.
Sala also made clear that “I don’t think that we can make inferences about the ownership situations of the clubs.”
He went on that “If Milan are going it alone, it means that they intend to disengage from Inter.”
And regarding the ownership of Inter, Sala stated that “The owners in football these days are in flux, that’s quite evident.”
“But whenever a contract is signed is the moment when those kinds of things would be verified,” he added.