The Municipality of San Donato has officially urged the Lombardy Regional Government to move forward with the planning agreement for the new AC Milan stadium project. This development was disclosed by Gianluca Comazi, a city councilor from Forza Italia and territorial representative of Lombardy, in an interview with Il Giorno: "It is expected that in June, the regional council will consider and hopefully approve the planning agreement. I sincerely hope that whether or not Milan and Inter Milan say goodbye to the San Siro, they will be able to explore and contribute to the creation of a new stadium together. ”
As for whether Milan and Inter Milan can participate in the San Donato event, Comazzi said that this is not something that can be predicted by the regional government or individuals, but an issue to be negotiated between the two clubs. He stressed that if the two teams can act together, it will undoubtedly be mutually beneficial and open a new chapter.
Tottenham Hotspur, for example, has seen the economic benefits of its new stadium match Serie A giants Juventus' stadium revenues in the 22/23 season, and even doubled Inter Milan's revenues, despite having completed all possible matches on their home turf and playing two more Champions League games.
Italian club owners have frequently emphasised the importance of new stadiums for their modern facilities, which not only integrate into the cityscape, but also operate efficiently throughout the year and generate sustainable revenue for the club. However, the process has been hampered by bureaucratic delays and external resistance, with Inter Milan and AC Milan having encountered challenges in a number of suburban sites, as well as in the Tor Vergata and Pietrarata projects in and around Rome.
In contrast, in the UK, and especially in London, there are multiple stadiums that coexist in harmony, some of which are even in stark contrast. Milan City is facing the possibility of two iconic clubs moving out due to difficulties in the construction of new stadiums.
In the 22/23 season, for example, Inter Milan led Serie A with 78.9 million euros in stadium revenue, thanks to a dense schedule at the San Siro and a good result in the Champions League and Coppa Italia finals. AC Milan is not far behind, with the Champions League campaign contributing a significant contribution to its €72.8 million in revenue. Juventus, on the other hand, although the Champions League ended in the group stage, its income reached 61.5 million euros supported by four home games in the Europa League.
Tottenham Hotspur leads the way in terms of revenue with a new stadium completed in 2019 at a cost of around 1.18 billion euros. Tottenham earned almost US$61 million from sponsorships related to the stadium and its VIP services alone, which is almost equal to the annual revenue of Juventus' Allianz Stadium. Throughout the 22/23 season, Tottenham's new stadium brought it a combined economic benefit of around €159.8 million, a significant increase compared to the previous season.
While Inter Milan has the advantage in the number of home games, their stadium revenues are only half that of Tottenham Hotspur, highlighting the huge gap in revenue generation between the old and new venues. This further argues why the Milan duo see the San Siro renovation as an insurmountable obstacle.