Milan, reportage from the La Maura racetrack, where they want to build the stadium

In front of the wall surrounding the hippodrome there is a gentleman in his fifties. He is wearing garden boots and is digging up the earth with a spade. As soon as he sees us, he raises his head: “Are you here for the history of the stadium?”. We nod. “The important thing is that this small land remains immaculate.” And he laughs it.

Vegetable garden

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At the gates of the facility dedicated to the trot there is a municipal garden for private use of citizens, with sage, rosemary and basil plants. There are those who walk the dog, those who relax on the bench and those who jog, while the chaos caused by the comings and goings of cars as soon as they leave the ring road is dampened by the quiet of a residential neighborhood full of parks and “green” areas. The new AC Milan facility could be built here, in a 75-hectare green belt in the north-west area of ​​the city. All less than half an hour’s walk from San Siro. About ten minutes if you take the car, about two kilometers in total starting from the metro stop. The La Maura racecourse, nestled between the Aniasi park and the Lampugnano district, is currently the hottest area assessed by Cardinale at this time. There where the upper floors dreaming of building.

Zone In

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Vowels are affected. The three O’s for racecourse on the gates of the main entrance, in via Lampugnano, in front of the “Parco dei Triangoli”. They all have the shape of a horseshoe, as does the sculpture on the square in front of the entrance, which is an extra-large iron that welcomes those who arrive. Talisman, but also symbol. The plant is not open to the public, there is silence, but what has happened in the last few hours has made noise. The residents organized themselves to give a message to the two clubs: “We don’t like the idea of ​​pouring concrete in a park”, they thunder. So much so that on the walls of the facility there are several inscriptions in favor of tradition: “San Siro can’t be touched”. “San Siro I love you”.

Pinerolo

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Squires of history averse to modernity, but also to the advantages that a new plant could create. The area around the racecourse is residential. Less than a kilometer away is Via Pinerolo, a happy oasis for football players and VIPs. Alexandre Pato, Brazilian striker, lived in this street during the first Milan seasons. When he landed in Milan he didn’t have a driving license yet, he lived with a cousin who also acted as his driver. Icardi, on the other hand, enjoyed the view of the Meazza from his super penthouse with swimming pool and jacuzzi, while Ronaldo took refuge there to relax. Over the years Materazzi, Bergomi, Bonera, Suso, Brozovic and many others have also lived here. An “in area” that faces the old park of Trenno, today Aldo Aniasi, one of the largest in all of Milan. Pride for the locals and for those who want to play sports.

Meter

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The advantage of the La Maura idea is also given by the underground: the system could be built about ten minutes from the Uruguay stop on the red line. Not even a kilometer. If you go down to Bonola or Lampugnano, always red, it would be a hundred meters longer. The racecourse is also used for concerts, another element of annoyance for the residents: “When there is an event they close the streets”, someone thunders. This summer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Arctic Monkeys, Travis Scott, the Black Keys with Liam Gallagher and The Weekend will play. Hundreds of people on the green of the old “Maura” slope, from which the facility takes its name (built in 2015 on an area of ​​170,000 square kilometers). There, where there is often silence, people go for a run and the citizens tend their gardens. All a stone’s throw from where the horses trot. And where Milan is imagining its new home.