Concerns Over Bureaucratic Delays
Giuseppe Marotta, the president of Inter Milan, raised alarm on Friday regarding the potential hindrance posed by Italy’s slow bureaucratic processes on the timeline for the construction of a new stadium at the San Siro site. Recently, Inter and AC Milan finalized their acquisition of the venerable stadium and its surrounding area from the municipal government. This vital financing arrangement allows the two Serie A clubs to proceed with plans to demolish the existing structure and erect a new state-of-the-art venue with a seating capacity of 71,500.
Timeline for Completion
The anticipated completion timeline aims for the new stadium to be operational ahead of Italy’s co-hosting of the 2032 European Championship alongside Turkey. “It’s essential that we finish well before Euro 2032 to make sure our new facilities are available during the championship events,” Marotta stated during a press session at the Football Business Forum in Milan. However, he expressed significant concern about bureaucratic delays, emphasizing, “We are confronted with a bureaucracy that operates at a notoriously slow pace here in Italy. I sincerely hope we can achieve completion by 2030.”
Critique of the Italian Bureaucratic System
Speaking at the forum, where he participated in a panel discussion, Marotta further criticized the inefficiencies of the Italian bureaucratic system. Over the past 15 years, he noted, Europe has constructed 50 new stadiums with an investment totaling approximately €20 billion, yet Italy has only modernized three venues in the same period, illustrating a stark lag in progress. “The issue doesn’t stem primarily from a lack of funding, but rather from bureaucratic sluggishness,” he asserted.
Ownership and Investment
Both clubs are currently owned by American investment firms, with AC Milan under the stewardship of RedBird and Inter linked to Oaktree Capital Management. “It’s telling that two of the most prominent football clubs in Italy are foreign-owned, indicating that the domestic system fails to adequately support top-tier sports,” Marotta pointed out.
Design and Financial Projections
In partnership with prestigious architectural firms Foster + Partners and Manica, the two teams plan to design the new stadium, which will become part of a broad project encompassing more than three million square feet of development. The purchase deal for the historic San Siro was valued at €197 million (approximately $226 million), with the clubs projecting investments exceeding €1 billion for the new construction.
Financial forecasts suggest that each club could generate around €180 million annually from the new facility, nearly a doubling of their current revenue levels of around €80 million each year. This increase is expected to come not just from match days, but also through non-game activities such as stadium tours, concerts, and possibly lucrative naming rights agreements.
Vision for the New Stadium
During his remarks at the forum, Milan president Paolo Scaroni articulated a vision for the new stadium: “Our goal is to construct the best stadium in Europe because Milan is a leading football capital that deserves outstanding infrastructure. We aspire to create a venue that is lively every day, filled with restaurants, hotels, and commercial activities. By 2030, this vision will be realized in Milan.” He lamented the emptiness of the current San Siro, which feels desolate during off-days, and emphasized the need for an ongoing community engagement through the stadium’s programming.
