Is San Siro really going to be torn down?

A marathon city council meeting, the announcement of the sale to the Milanese clubs, and the revelation of the names who will design the new stadium — Norman Foster and Manica. These are the latest highlights in the long and controversial saga of Milan’s stadium, both old and new. But the main question everyone is still asking—amid the current media bombardment and general lack of clarity—is the same as at the beginning: will the Meazza be completely demolished or not? Back in May 2025, we reported on the possible scenarios following the news of the sale made public by the City of Milan. A joint purchase by Inter and Milan was just one option, but perhaps it was always the most realistic one: while the fate of the site was still uncertain, the two clubs had already published the DocFap (Feasibility Document of Alternative Proposals), which included plans for a new 71,500-seat stadium to be built on the current parking lot.  

The feasibility document, presented in March by Milan and Inter, compared three alternatives. The first involved keeping the Meazza as it is, with only essential maintenance for safety. But this option wouldn’t solve its major structural issues and would require increasingly costly interventions over time, paid for by taxpayers. The second alternative was a structural and functional redevelopment of the Meazza, which could have extended its life but, according to the clubs, would have been extremely expensive and would not allow for an increase in capacity. In fact, it would reduce it further, causing significant financial losses. 

The third alternative, which the clubs ultimately chose, is a “compromise solution” involving a partial demolition of the Meazza: removing the roof, most of the stands, the iconic ramps, and demolishing the first tier entirely, deemed unworthy of protection even by the heritage authority (Soprintendenza).

However, the plan, which we remind you is still only preliminary and subject to considerable change, also provides for the preservation of Tower 11 and part of the spiral ramps of the second ring (east side). The aim is to preserve these elements as the historical memory of the "Scala del Calcio", where a museum is to be created.  Therefore, those with a sentimental attachment to the stadium will have to accept that very little of the original structure will remain. Built in 1925 and modified several times during the 20th century, it boasts impressive engineering stratification from Ulisse Stacchini to Leo Finzi. There is a shared feeling that perhaps more could have been done.

One of the arguments against demolishing the Meazza Stadium has always been the hope that it would be granted heritage protection. From 2025 onwards, the building should be partially protected. However, the situation is more complex than that.

In Italy, a preliminary restriction on public buildings is automatically triggered after 70 years, but it is always subject to evaluation by the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio, which may confirm or revoke it if valid reasons do not exist. The first tier dates back to 1925, meaning the building is already 100 years old and thus should already be protected. Yet, as mentioned, the heritage authority did not consider this part of the structure worthy of preservation.

A completely different case concerns the 1950s expansion, designed by engineer Ferruccio Calzolari and architect Armando Ronca. The Soprintendenza considers “worthy of consideration”—a point not to be underestimated—“the 1955 structures, the second tier, and the helical ramps.” These are precisely the elements (or at least part of them) that Milan and Inter’s project aims to save. The protection, however, has not yet come into force: the heritage authority has set the official date at November 10, 2025. This means that if the clubs fail to complete the purchase contract by then, the project could face significant delays or even a comprehensive revision of the masterplan, based on the new, binding restrictions.

The last time Italy saw the construction of such a significant stadium was the Juventus Stadium (now Allianz Stadium) in Turin, inaugurated in September 2011. That project also involved demolishing the old Stadio delle Alpi and privatizing the area after the club acquired rights from the city. The new San Siro stadium, designed by Norman Foster and Manica, is expected to be completed by 2031, in time for Milan’s bid to host matches at Euro 2032. Construction should begin in 2027, while the Meazza will remain in use for several more years so the teams can continue playing home matches without leaving the city. Concerts, however, will no longer be held—a blow for a venue that has hosted artists from Bruce Springsteen to Taylor Swift.

In recent years, the San Siro district has already undergone major transformations: from the new social housing built on the site of the former racecourse to the redevelopment of the former De Montel stables, now home to the largest urban spa in Europe, separated from the future construction site only by Via Achille. And yet, none of these projects have carried the symbolic or media impact of the stadium saga. Because San Siro is not just a sports facility: it is a monument that embodies a century of Milanese and Italian history. Its demolition, only partially offset by preserving fragments, remains a controversial urban planning choice that reignites the debate of recent months (or years?) and once again puts Milan under the spotlight—with a story already controversial and still only at its beginning.

Opening image: San Siro, September 2019. Photo medvedkov