Inter, new stadium in Assago after the break with the axis with Milan

Not far from where Olimpia scores, another symbol of Milan. In the south-west area of ​​the metropolitan area where the Naviglio Pavese flows placidly and cars roar from the A7 and the Tangenziale Ovest: there, in Assago, the Inter home of the future could really be born.

An all-Nerazzurri stadium built independently by the Suning club: it has long been plan B, in dim light compared to the dream of building a new, ultra-modern San Siro together with the Diavolo, but it would become plan A, the only viable one. Preliminary documents have already been signed for this alternative facility with the owners of a large private area not far from the Forum: now, however, the details can be defined, precisely because the “Cathedral” project to be erected together with AC Milan is fading all over the world. ‘horizon. The Rossoneri blue project hasn’t completely disappeared yet, on the contrary, at least in appearance, it would still be Inter’s most welcome option given the time, money and hopes spent. But that common plan suffered a further blow after yet another summit between the clubs and Mayor Sala: a classic of the last four and a half years of continuous rebounds and delays. Yesterday, on the other hand, things went very fast: about forty minutes at Palazzo Marino was enough to officially sanction the Milanist deviation from the Populous project. In fact, the Rossoneri president Paolo Scaroni clarified that the club’s focus is now on the possibility of building an exclusively Rossoneri stadium inside the La Maura area, not far from San Siro: only 4 years ago in the same area Inter thought to build their own youth sports centre. It will take Milan about three weeks to decide whether that will be the definitive orientation or if there will be steps backwards which would also involve the cousins. At the same time, with equal officiality, yesterday the CEO Corporate nerazzurro Alessandro Antonello confirmed to the two interlocutors that Inter will not remain with the match of the old San Siro in hand: in fact, Zhang’s club has another plan in the drawer, precisely Assago. A certain mystery hung over this project due to an “NDA” (in English non-disclosure agreement), a non-disclosure agreement that enforces confidentiality. Faced with the Rossoneri’s acceleration towards La Maura, with the risk of various speculations and skepticisms, Inter decided to push: the secret couldn’t hold up too much.

NEW: THE STADIUM IN THE HINTERLAND BUT CONNECTED TO THE CENTER

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After the meeting with the mayor, precisely through the mouth of the CEO An unsettling news had rained down, at least based on the previous drafts on the subject: Antonello had revealed that the Nerazzurri’s alternative plan was not within the strictly city limits, but in the wider metropolitan area. In the so-called “grande Milano”: a space inhabited by about three million people that borders on the hinterland, but equipped with public transport. And Assago, dear to the Milanese for commercial as well as sporting reasons, is truly a city appendix, thanks also to the M2 metro, the green one, which ends there. “The areas inside the city are very limited. All the alternatives on the table, right from the Sesto plan, are in the metropolitan area…», the CEO winked. starting immediately after the summit. At the table together with the mayor, Scaroni and the new Rossoneri CEO (and former senior manager of Elliott) Giorgio Furlani, the atmosphere had been one of institutional cordiality, apart from some scattered banter: when the AC Milan delegates referred to the economic difficulties of the Zhang family, Antonello was firm in defending the position of Suning who put his commitment and resources into the “Cathedral” of Populous, before Milan broke the pact. «What surprises us is the fact that we were proceeding with a project… – added Antonello -. We happily accept their analyses. Inter have very clear the steps and what we believe is right to do for the club and for the fans». And here, then, is the Assago plan which would in any case have ancient origins: it was designed precisely as a precaution in the event that the common project of the Nuovo San Siro got stuck. Foresighted, given what happened.

THE DISAPPOINTMENT: THE ROOM DISPLACED BY THE CLUBS. AND WHAT TO DO WITH THE MEAZZA?

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While the two clubs are now moving in no particular order, the huge elephant in the room at Palazzo Marino still remains. Before Christmas, the City Council had asked the clubs for further changes to give the green light to the “Cathedral”: from the public green which should have made up 50% of the entire area to the 40 million paid by the clubs for the redevelopment of the district, passing for the increase in seats to 70,000 and for the block on price growth, everything was about to be put in black and white. Indeed, the Inter dossier was about to be sent via Pec to Milan: obviously it stopped, in the face of the Rossoneri’s about-face on the original idea and the latest skirmishes between clubs. Even Sala, seeing the turn of events, knows that that file may never arrive again. Yesterday, after having assisted the match as referee, he expressed bitterness at the increasingly real risk of finding the old “Giuseppe Meazza” there without a purpose: «No one wants San Siro anymore. I am embittered as mayor, citizen and fan,” said Sala. And then the confirmation of the decisive point: «Milan is looking at La Maura, but I said to tell us in two or three weeks if he intends to continue with the Meazza or if he abandons the hypothesis. And if Inter goes out of town obviously there are no other suitable areas…”. Never like this time, in fact, is it real to imagine a derby like those in Madrid in the future: two teams, two stadiums.