Plans to demolish the Stadio San Siro (or the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza) could be scrapped for good after the Milan City Council confirmed that the Superintendency will place an anti-demolition restriction on the second tier of the stadium.
Although the current home of AC Milan and Inter was initially built in 1926, the second tier was nearly 30 years later in 1955, taking the capacity from 50,000 to 100,000 in an era where there was standing room only. Both clubs have had plans to build and then own their own stadiums instead of renting the San Siro from the council, but those who do not want the stadium demolished now have a victory of their own.
One of those people against demolishing the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is Carlo Monguzzi, the leading councilman from the Europa Verde political party. Not only does he prefer the stadium to be renovated, but he is also against the Milanese clubs building new stadiums in their districts of preference.
“This is not done on a whim, but the application of a state law and the Superintendence has had the spine to apply it,” he told ‘Radiosveglia’ on Radio Popolare via calciomercato.com.
“It was a pious illusion to maintain the two clubs before the constraint.”
Monguzzi: Scaroni motivated by money, Inter should renovate the San Siro
Former AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni wanted to build a new stadium, but faced too much red tape in doing so, while Inter might not be in a position to build a new ground due to the lack of capital Nerazzurri president Steven Zhang has at his disposal.
Monguzzi believed that Scaroni’s actions were based on self-interest and that the Biscione could be persuaded into renovating the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza more than the Rossoneri.
“There’s talk of two aggressive financial groups that want to make money,” he told Calcio e Finanza via calciomercato.com.
“Even Scaroni said it, I want to have permission to build the stadium, I’ll put it in the belly of my budget and sell Milan straight away. These are the financial operations they have in mind, they are not for the city.
“In our opinion with the political strength that the city of Milan has, the teams are to be convinced, at least one of them, so we have to work in this direction. Inter would probably do well with their debt to renovate the San Siro.”
Monguzzi opposes sites for proposed AC Milan and Inter stadium
AC Milan were contemplating the construction of a stadium in the district of San Donato in south-east of Milan, and Inter towards the south in Rozzano, but Monguzzi is suggesting to build a stadium in the San Francesco area in the south-west.
“I don’t think they will go there,” he said.
“There is no public transport to get there, and in any case, we will defend the green area there too. The hypothesis is to build on the San Francesco area, which is a green area for which there is already mobilisation of citizens, environmentalists and politicians.
“I am in favour of making an effort to convince Inter to restructure San Siro: if the clubs go to San Donato and Rozzano, we have lost all the same.”
