Football
9y

Erick Thohir keen for Inter Milan to move into their own stadium

Inter Milan president Erick Thohir has re-emphasised the importance of having a stadium of the club's own rather than sharing one with city rivals AC Milan.

Inter and Milan currently share the San Siro -- a stadium owned by Milan's city council and rented out to the two Serie A clubs.

Not only is the rent expensive, but a lack of council funds means renovation work has only rarely been carried out since the stadium was modernised prior to the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

As with many stadiums in Italy, the structure is showing its age, while with a capacity of just over 80,000, it is rarely full for Serie A games.

Even the Milan derbies in recent years have not completely sold out, which is why Thohir believes following Juventus' lead in constructing a purpose-built arena up to modern standards is the only way forward.

"In Major League Soccer, 16 out of 20 clubs have their own stadium," Thohir told the Sport Business Summer conference in London. "It's vital if you want to be competitive. The San Siro is huge and we never fill it.

"If you want to earn [from the stadium], it's also got to be open seven days a week. It's not enough to have a big stadium -- it has to be functional. We've been discussing it with the management of AC Milan and we're waiting to see what the future of the San Siro will be. Certainly a new stadium is fundamental for the future."

Juve have won Serie A in each of their three campaigns since moving to the Juventus Stadium in 2011, while they have won their last 22 league games in a row in front of their own fans, almost always filling the stadium to its 41,000 capacity.

Furthermore, the arena houses the club's museum, tours are offered daily and it is located on an area of land which also homes a large shopping centre. Juve have not only increased gate revenue, but also reinforced their brand abroad thanks to their on-field success.

Thohir sees the same potential for his club, once the foundations of a new stadium are laid.

"Having your own stadium and sharing one is not the same thing," he said. "It's fundamental that we get our own stadium if we want to compete at the highest levels. We've got many fans all over the world -- nearly 90 million -- and that rises to 260 million if you look at the potential.

"You've got to look at Asia too if you are thinking of expanding your brand nowadays. We've got big projects not only in Italy, but also for the United States of America and Asia, such as our worldwide academy."

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