October 7: Inter and AC Milan have cleared a major legal hurdle to their San Siro redevelopment after the Lombardy Regional Administrative Court (TAR) ruled on five challenges to the sale of the stadium and surrounding land.
The ruling leaves the November 2025 sale intact and allows the clubs to press ahead with plans for a new 71,500-seat stadium next to the Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), although it falls short of a full court endorsement of the project.
Four of the five challenges were declared inadmissible for procedural reasons, meaning the court did not rule on the merits of the claims they contained. These cases raised objections about the sale process, planning, heritage protection and legal treatment of the stadium and surrounding land.
Only one challenge was rejected on its merits.
That case, brought by Milan councilor Enrico Fedrighini, questioned the way the city council approved the sale, focusing on procedural decisions made during the debate. The TAR found no irregularities.
Inter and Milan completed the purchase of the San Siro Urban Grand Function from the municipality of Milan in November, acquiring the Meazza and the surrounding grounds through their jointly controlled company Stadio San Siro.
Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan acted as co-lead arrangers in the financing of the acquisition, together with Banco BPM and BPER Banca.
The project is a major investment for the clubs’ American owners, with Inter controlled by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management and Milan owned by RedBird Capital Partners.
Foster + Partners and MANICA have been appointed to design the new stadium and wider master plan. The development will include retail, leisure and public space around the new ground, while much of the existing Meazza is expected to be dismantled once construction is complete.
Opened in 1926, the current San Siro has 75,817. It’s one of the biggest football stadiums in Europe, although it hasn’t been updated since Italia ’90 and both clubs feel the need for a complete overhaul rather than a facelift of the current ground.
Detailed designs for the new stadium are expected to be presented later this month or in early November, with a target for the second half of 2027 for the start of construction and expected completion in late 2031.
This schedule is vital against the backdrop of Italy and Turkey co-hosting Euro 2032. Milan will need a modern UEFA-compliant stadium if they are to secure a place among the Italian host cities.
The Milanese duo’s legal battle over whether the project can go ahead has eased, although the pressure now shifts to whether they can deliver it on time.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
