Concerns Over Bureaucratic Delays for New San Siro Stadium Completion

On Friday, Giuseppe Marotta, president of Inter Milan, voiced his concerns regarding the potential delays in the completion of the new San Siro stadium, citing the sluggish nature of Italian bureaucracy.

Inter Milan and AC Milan recently finalized their acquisition of the 99-year-old stadium and its surrounding area from the city. This financial arrangement paves the way for the Serie A clubs to demolish the existing stadium and collaboratively construct a new arena with a capacity of 71,500 seats.

The aim is to have the new stadium operational in time for Italy’s co-hosting of the 2032 European Championship alongside Turkey.

“Our clear objective is to be ready well before Euro 2032 begins, ensuring that this new stadium can be utilized during the tournament,” Marotta remarked to reporters at the Football Business Forum in Milan on Friday.

He expressed hope that the project could be completed by 2030, despite the challenges posed by Italian bureaucracy. “We are confronted with a typically very slow bureaucratic process here. I sincerely hope that we can finish by 2030,” he added.

During the forum, Marotta criticized the inefficiency of Italian bureaucracy in stark terms. “Over the past 15 years, 50 stadiums have been constructed across Europe with investments amounting to approximately €20 billion. In contrast, only three stadiums have been modernized in Italy during this period, indicating that we are significantly lagging behind,” he said.

Marotta raised questions about the underlying issues, suggesting that the primary obstacle may not be financial, but rather the bureaucratic delays affecting progress.

Both AC Milan and Inter Milan are currently owned by American firms—Milan by RedBird and Inter by Oaktree.

“It is noteworthy that two of Italy’s most prominent clubs are foreign-owned. This reflects the Italian system’s inability to adequately support elite sports,” Marotta asserted.

The clubs have already engaged architectural firms Foster + Partners and Manica for the design of the new stadium, which will be part of a comprehensive development project covering over 3 million square feet.

The acquisition deal for San Siro was valued at €197 million ($226 million), and Paolo Scaroni, president of AC Milan, indicated that the clubs plan to invest over €1 billion in the construction of the new venue.

According to estimates, both clubs could generate annual revenues of up to €180 million ($208 million) from the new stadium, significantly higher than their current earnings of around €80 million ($93 million) each.

Increased revenue is anticipated from attracting tourists on non-match days, whether for museum visits or stadium tours, in addition to hosting concerts and other events, as well as potentially selling naming rights for the new facility.

“Our goal is to create the best stadium in Europe, as Milan is a key football capital and deserves exceptional infrastructure,” Scaroni stated at Friday’s forum. “We envision a venue that is open to the world every day.

“Currently, if you visit San Siro, it’s either overwhelmingly crowded during matches or eerily vacant during off-days. Our vision is to establish a vibrant space where activities are happening daily, complete with restaurants, hotels, and commercial endeavors, all set to be realized in Milan by 2030.”