After a day of conflicting stories, Inter and Milan released a joint statement putting pressure on authorities to give them ‘certainties on the timing’ of the stadium construction, or they are ‘open to other options.’
The news day began with La Gazzetta dello Sport reporting the clubs had abandoned the ‘Cathedral’ project in the San Siro area of Milan, close to the existing Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, because the local authorities were taking too long to give the all-clear.
The Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, released a letter he received a week ago from the Serie A sides, promising they were still committed.
This evening, Inter and Milan released a joint statement to news agency ANSA that suggested both these stories have some truth to them and there is still absolutely no certainty the stadium will go ahead.
“With regards to the project of a new stadium for Milan, FC Internazionale and AC Milan wish to clarify that they are continuing a constructive dialogue with the local authorities to prepare a dossier that can be used in the public debate, so we can hope to accelerate the process to create a new San Siro, within a wider masterplan to requalify the area dedicated to sport and entertainment.
“For both clubs the creation of a new stadium remains an absolute priority, having the certainty of the timing for the authorisation, remaining open to other options if there were not the right conditions to build a new stadium at San Siro as originally planned.”
This note essentially pressures the Milanese authorities into setting some sort of specific timetable, warning the clubs will not wait for much longer before considering options such as Sesto San Giovanni rather than the San Siro area of the city.