New San Siro, total clash between Inter and Milan

The breakup is not official. But in fact, political relations between Inter and Milan are at a minimum and the future of the shared stadium at San Siro seems increasingly hanging by a thread.

It is no mystery: the (long) times imposed by law on the Municipality of Milan to grant the definitive yes to the Cathedral project, see the Palazzo Marino stakes and the possible anti-demolition restriction on the Meazza, has made the clubs impatient and indirectly cooled the relationships between the properties. Who today, despite not having completely stopped the constant talks of recent years, sit in very distant positions. Milan, as President Paolo Scaroni said a few weeks ago, is in a hurry and is ready to build its own stadium away from the San Siro by deciding in a very short time, let’s say this spring. Inter, on the other hand, are certain that the project started with the Rossoneri at the end of 2018 is still the winning one. For this reason, he didn’t like the Rossoneri’s direct and indirect moves towards the idea of ​​a stadium solution that is no longer shared and as a result today he finds himself in great difficulty in relating to the Milan world.

The strategies

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Leaving the Meazza remains the starting point for both clubs, but now what is really the strategy of Milan and Inter? Il Diavolo, on the basis of indications arrived directly from Gerry Cardinale, number one of RedBird, third owner of the Rossoneri club in the last six years after the Berlusconi era, today thinks even more about going it alone. For the Italian champions, the 275 million loan from Oaktree to Suning would constitute too big a question mark on the Nerazzurri’s ownership which could weigh down the stadium project in co-ownership instead of the Meazza. What is still not clear today is how much Milan is really working on alternative plans at the San Siro. The areas identified for the Rossoneri stadium are Sesto San Giovanni, San Donato, Rozzano, the La Maura racecourse not far from the Meazza. All have an obvious advantage: it would be easier to build a stadium here than in the sporting heart of Milan, the San Siro, on municipal land. However, the problem would be another: the costs of a solo operation. The Rossoneri managers have always reaffirmed the need to go hand in hand in order to have a more modern and more beautiful stadium. Translated in a nutshell: dividing the 600 million budget for the Cathedral would have facilitated the success of the project. But how much would having one AC Milan stadium weigh on the club’s coffers? Of this there is no certainty. Even if a very important investment (covered by a mortgage) would be needed.

Hassles

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Inter needs certainties today. A very strong irritation filters from the Zhang family club, an evident annoyance at how in recent weeks the theme of the new stadium in Milan has been addressed in public and in the press by the Devil. Even before Cardinale’s arrival in the city for the Champions League match against Tottenham, Inter had made it clear that they were annoyed by the Rossoneri’s conduct, which was too wavering at a time when great cohesion was needed. Today we are very close to the rift: the request for a meeting with RedBird to define the common strategy on the Cathedral has always been eluded, viale della Liberazione reiterates, an institutional discourtesy that the Zhang family – at the helm of Inter for 7 years – do not he expected. Relations with Elliott’s management team have always been very good. With Cardinale’s fund entering the club in September (also thanks to the 550 million “vendor loan”, Elliott’s loan) the situation is completely different. Even in the latest work on the Cathedral dossier, which began in the first weeks of 2023 in the aftermath of the new requests from the Milan City Council, the partnership between the Milanese seems to have stalled, and risks being interrupted. For Inter, the names of Milan’s possible plan B are increasing the confusion. With Zhang who is not willing to wait indefinitely for any official step.

The alternatives

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For the Nerazzurri, staying at San Siro remains the priority: if an agreement cannot be found with the Municipality and RedBird in the end really chooses to go alone, Suning will make its alternative choice. Barring Inter staying at the Meazza, not even in the event of major modernization works, the Nerazzurri too will look for another area in which to build their new, rich home. And what will happen to today’s glorious stadium? This is another problem of no small importance, because Inter and Milan thought of demolishing it to change the face of San Siro, but if the clubs separate, the derby theater will still greet the two teams. Standing yes, but no more football.