Why buying San Siro does make sense for Inter and Milan and why it doesn’t

Milan and Inter have been offered the chance to buy the Stadio Meazza in San Siro, but should the Milanese sides stick to an old but legendary stadium or build a new one each?

Milan’s Mayor Beppe Sala announced on Friday that he is now ready to sell the Stadio Meazza to Inter and Milan so the Milanese sides can refurbish it and remain within the city’s perimeter rather than moving to Rozzano or San Donato.

Inter and Milan have been working on alternative projects for their new stadiums, seeking fresh income to boost their finances. This is such a key aspect of the clubs’ development that Inter and Milan are not only considering leaving the Stadio Meazza but also moving slightly outside Milano to fulfil their target.

However, Sala’s offer is undoubtedly a game-changer, and Milan and Inter now have food for thought regarding their new—or old—home.

The Milanese sides have the highest attendance for Serie A matches this term. Inter have been selling nearly 73,000 tickets on average for every home game this season, just 1,000 more than their city rivals. This could be an essential aspect of their decision, given that the latest reports suggest that stadiums in Rozzano (Inter) and San Donato (Milan) would have fewer seats, between 65,000 and 70,000. You may see empty seats available here and there in their home games, but most of the time, the Stadio Meazza is sold out for Milan’s and Inter’s home games in Serie A and Champions League.

It is still unclear how much the two clubs would spend to purchase the Stadio Meazza, but the cost for the stadium’s redevelopment would be around €300m, so €150m each. In any case, it would be cheaper than building a new stadium, which would cost over €450m for each club. It should not be underestimated that the Diavoli have already invested €40m to buy a vast arena in San Donato where their new stadium should be built.

A brand new stadium would offer Inter and Milan more opportunities to develop the area around their new homes, with bars, restaurants, shops and commercial activities. The project to refurbish San Siro includes a plan to redevelop the area around the stadium, but there is limited space outside the Stadio Meazza so it remains to be seen how much Inter and Milan would gain from those commercial activities.

A new stadium would also allow Milan and Inter to develop their projects and financial activities without sharing space with their city rivals.

The other side of the coin is that continuing to play in such a legendary stadium would surely add value for both teams, given the frightening impact that San Siro often has on opponents. There are different examples of how a new stadium can positively or negatively impact a home side. Juventus surely benefited from the building of the Allianz Stadium in 2011, while Arsenal didn’t feel at home for a while when moving from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium.

Timing will also be a crucial factor, as the company in charge of refurbishing San Siro—WeBuild—is confident that work will be completed in two years and carried out during the summer so that Milan and Inter can regularly play at the Stadio Meazza during the season. Inter, Milan, and the city council will release more details over the next few weeks and June is expected to be a key month for the clubs’ final decision.