AC Milan and Internazionale have jointly selected a new stadium. The top Serie A clubs, which currently already share a stadium, have examined various proposed designs in recent months and have opted for a design by Studio Populous, which bears the working title La Cattedrale. The new stadium is expected to be ready in 2027 and should be able to accommodate 65,000 spectators. Both clubs hope to generate eighty million euros annually in income from the stadium.
Currently, Milan and Inter play football at the Giuseppe Meazza. That stadium is also called the San Siro, after the district in which the stadium is located. Because the new stadium is being built next to the current complex, the name San Siro will remain attached to it. Time will tell whether the stadium will remain popularly known as San Siro or become known as La Cattedrale. The working title, translated ‘the Cathedral’, is given to the stadium because the design was inspired by the Cathedral of Milan. Studio Populous is also the architectural firm behind Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.
The design of La Cattedrale, the new home of AC Milan and Internazionale.
With 65,000 spectators, the capacity is significantly below that of the Giuseppe Meazza, which can accommodate 80,000 people. The scaling back of capacity can be explained by the fact that Milan and Inter rarely play in a sold out house. In the 2018/19 season, the last full season before the corona pandemic, an average of 54,651 fans were in the stands at Milan matches and 58,190 at Inter. Historically, only Milan had average audience numbers exceeding 65,000, but that was most recently in the 1993/94 season.
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Olympic Games will be held at the Giuseppe Meazza, but the stadium will then be partially demolished. Supporters will be closer to the field in the new stadium than they are now. More space will also be made available for business seats. Next to the stadium there will be a park of about 50,000 square meters. The area around the stadium will be completely pedestrianized, with approximately 110 thousand square meters of greenery. The parking spaces, currently accounting for approximately 27 percent of the stadium area, will be built completely underground.