Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Milan mayor planning San Siro redevelopment as part of Olympics bid

The mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala, has unveiled plans to renovate the city's San Siro stadium in view of a possible bid for the 2028 Olympics, and to ensure it remains the permanent home of city rivals AC and Inter.

AC Milan last year shelved plans to build a new stadium on the grounds of the former trade fair site in the city, after having won the tender to redevelop the area. Inter had hoped to take sole control of the San Siro as a result, but Sala believes both clubs can continue to co-habit in a redeveloped stadium with different entrances.

"I can tell that there is no desire on either part to build a new stadium, so I am launching the idea of a shared San Siro," Sala told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The stadium would be divided with one area for Inter and one for Milan, and if you let your imagination wander, you can also think of the Inter dressing room being on one side and the Milan one on the other, with both clubs having their own VIP stands and boxes on different sides of the stadium with separate entrances.

"It would be half a stadium Nerazzurro and the other half Rossonero. It would characterise the stadium for both teams without the need to change things over each week. We, as the administrators, could ease the process."

The city council currently own the arena, which hosted the 2016 Champions League final. A long-term rental agreement with both clubs contributing to the costs of the redevelopment work would be one option while Sala has not ruled out selling the venue entirely.

"The city council would even consider a total sale, if we were to receive a serious offer, otherwise we could renew our agreement with the two clubs in the long term," he said. "Already part of the rent goes on improvements and we could further reduce the rent on the condition that there is an investment to transform the San Siro."

Sala says Inter's new owners, the Suning Group, have already signalled their willingness to sit down and discuss a new-look San Siro, but he has yet to hear from Milan's proposed new owners and this is stalling his plans for the moment.

As part of Sala's ambitious plans, he believes the city could also attract the Olympic Games in 2028.

"First of all I'm sorry for Roma, who had a serious, credible project [for 2024]," Sala said. "We've got to wait until 2017 for that edition to be awarded and if it goes to Paris, then we wouldn't even talk about it, but if Los Angeles wins and it goes to a non-European city, then the Italian Olympic Committee could think about putting forward Milan for 2028.

"In fact, I would say that it would be very fair to do so, if this meant that the Olympics would be an opportunity to invest in the city's sports venues."

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