Inter Milan President Marotta Sounds Alarm: Is San Siro’s Replacement the Secret to Reclaiming European Glory?
Inter Milan president Beppe Marotta believes the replacement for San Siro is crucial to help them bridge the financial gap to their rivals in European football.
The Nerazzurri and rivals AC Milan, who have shared the iconic San Siro since 1947, on Thursday unveiled plans to replace it with a new home that would be called the Generali Stadium for 20 years.
As part of the plans, San Siro would be demolished. Work on the Generali, which will be built adjacent to the site of San Siro, will begin in 2028, with the stadium is expected to be ready for the 2031-32 campaign. Milan and Inter will continue to play at San Siro until the Generali is ready.
While the plan to demolish San Siro has been a source of controversy, Marotta believes the move is necessary for Inter to be able to compete at the highest level.
“In some respects, whilst San Siro represents a repository of historical memory, it no longer meets the requirements of a modern stadium or what the fans want,” Marotta told The Athletic.
“Just consider that, according to the figures we have today, Real Madrid generates around €250m a year [from the Bernabeu], whilst we’re currently just under €100m with San Siro. As well as being an asset for the club, a stadium is also a source of revenue.
“At present, there’s far too big a gap between us in Italy and some of our rival clubs in Europe, which also affects our competitiveness and certainly puts us in a very difficult position.
“A stadium must have a life of its own and be functional, not just on Sundays or when matches are played.”
The new stadium is being made possible in large part due to private capital from the United States, with Milan’s owners Red Bird and Inter’s owners Oaktree Capital Management collaborating on the project.
“In Italy, where there are major bureaucratic hurdles to launching projects of this nature, this has come about thanks in part to the arrival and tenacity of Oaktree,” Marotta added.
“Their tenacity has perhaps broken down some of the bureaucratic barriers which, in our country, unfortunately represented a major stumbling block and were difficult to overcome. Today, we are truly on an upward trajectory.”
Milan and Inter meet Derby della Madonnina on Saturday. Inter are top of Serie A as they look to defend the Scudetto, the Nerazzurri ahead of Lazio on goals scored. Milan are seven points off the pace.
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