2023-11-06 14:34:53
Those who have already had the chance to set foot in Giuseppe Meazza, the church of football erected in the middle of the San Siro district in Milan, inevitably have unforgettable memories. The twelve spiral columns that go around it, this recognizable red roof, its 75,000 seats in faded colors which, on each match day, fill with a crowd that makes noise like no other in Europe and whose repeated jumps make the cracked concrete of the structure tremble.
A unique, electric, exceptional atmosphere that most Paris Saint-Germain players will discover on Tuesday evening (9 p.m.) in its most beautiful form, those of European gala evenings. The last time the capital club traveled there was on Valentine’s Day in 2001, already against AC Milan in the Champions League. Since then, the stadium shared by the Rossoneri and their neighbors, the Inter Nerazzurri, has taken on a few wrinkles. The weight of the years weighs on its almost century-old foundations, inaugurated in 1926 then renovated and expanded in the 1930s, 1950s and 1980s.
In May, the two Milan clubs met in the semi-finals of the Champions League, for two brilliant matches at San Siro. (Icon sport) DeFodi Images / Icon Sport
Despite this rich and long history, the two tenants of the stadium seem determined to turn the page. In 2021, they jointly presented the project of “ Cathedral », a new enclosure which was to be erected on the debris of the current San Siro. The idea, which began to take shape in 2018, was simple: build the new ultra-modern 60,000-seat stadium directly opposite the San Siro, which would be demolished, and develop the entire space into a green, pedestrian area. Without a precise timetable, the two clubs announced that the final project should be presented in 2022.
The city of Milan against destruction
However, as 2023 comes to an end, the project has been buried. The “Cathedral” will never see the light of day and for good reason, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the Metropolitan City of Milan declared, last August, that the San Siro could not be destroyed, as initially planned and announced. The reason: its very particular architecture, in particular its columns and its second ring, which represent an interest in terms of history and heritage.
The decision did not really please both Milan. “The Superintendence has put a significant brake on our dreams,” declared Rossonero President Paolo Scaroni. Since then, the two clubs have each presented a new stadium project… distinct from each other. It would be an even more substantial page of tour: Inter and Milan, who have shared the field since 1947 (76 years), would completely abandon San Siro to have separate rooms.
The two clubs are working on a new project… separately
The Rossoneri announced, on September 27, “the first formal step” for the construction of a new speaker in the San Donato district. The Nerrazzuri, for their part, had expressed their interest in early September for that of Rozzano.
What about the San Siro, then? From now on, the city of Milan absolutely wants to prevent it from falling into neglect. “I hope that one of the two teams, Inter or Milan, can stay at San Siro,” declared the city’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, on October 5. In this case, the municipality would be ready to help. » The councilor elaborated by saying that there was another possibility: “sell the stadium, but we have to see what the desire of one of the two teams is to stay there. »
In the meantime, San Siro will survive at least until 2026, when it is due to host the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The venue is also a candidate to host a Champions League final in 2026 or 2027. Great projects for a stadium with such an uncertain future.
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