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San Siro: Temple of Calcio or crumbling ruin?
Professor John Foot - 16th December 2025
When I lived in Italy in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, I often went to football games at San Siro. It was in the process of being re-built and modernised for the 1990 World Cup when I arrived in the city in 1988. The opening game of that World Cup was held there, a stunning victory by a 9-man Cameroon against cup holders Argentina, with Maradona being booed by the crowd. It was a magnificent place to see a football game, no running track (unlike many other Italian stadiums) and with a good view from most seats, although from the top tier the players seemed so small it was a bit like watching a chess match.
The spiral staircases took you up, with a view over the city and sometimes all the way to the mountains beyond. It was especially beautiful at night, when it was lit up like a space ship. During Italian Serie A or cup games, one group of ultra would be at one end of the stadium, and another at the other end. Seats were basic concrete benches, so many fans purchased cushions which folded up and were branded in club colours. When the fans were angry, they would sometimes throw the cushions at the pitch (at the ref, or the players). The noise in the stadium could be incredible, especially when it was full – which it often was in the 1990s, when Milan had up to 70,000 season ticket holders. The area around the stadium was always vibrant before the game, with numerous stalls and fans milling around. But it could be scary, with clashes with the police and between fans. Security was ramped up in the 2000s after a series of incidents, with more gates and checks (although the ultrà always seemed to get through with whatever they wanted to bring in, including – famously – a moped wheeled up to the middle part of stadium by Inter fans, and then thrown down, in 2001).
San Siro was built in three stages. In 1926 the first tier was completed, in open countryside – by AC Milan’s President at the time Piero Pirelli. In 1935 Milan’s city council purchased and upgraded the stadium (the capacity was about 55,000) and from 1947 Inter and Milan have shared San Siro, still with no roof at all. A second tier and the famous ramps were added in 1955 (raising the capacity to 85,000) – 110,000 people attended. The upper tiers were added for the 1990 World Cup and, finally, a roof. The stadium has also frequently hosted famous rock and other music events, including a huge Bob Marley concert in 1980. I saw the Rolling Stones there in 2006. One of the problems with the 1990 structure was that the new roof affected the quality of the grass on the pitch, which was constantly re-laid (at vast cost) and was said to have caused a number of injuries. In the meantime, San Siro had become a neighbourhood – enveloped by the city – with a large working-class zone and another for well-off Milanese. Near to the stadium were two horse racing tracks – one for Trotter races (horses and carriages) and another for straight horse racing. Inveterate gamblers would often go from the football straight to the racetrack. In 1980 the stadium had been re-named after one of the greatest of all Italian players, Giuseppe Meazza – who turned out for both Milan and Inter, but many fans still referred to it as ‘the San Siro’. Great games and famous players graced the stadium over the years – Gianni Rivera, Sandro Mazzola, Pele played in a friendly there, Lothar Mattheus, Franco Baresi, Roberto Baggio, Marco Van Basten, Paolo Maldini, Ronaldo, David Beckham and thousands of others. Most fans got to the stadium by car, scooter or metro, and eventually the stadium got its own metro line and dedicated stop. Before that, the fans would walk from Piazzale Lotto (some distance away).
But ever since the 1990 renovation, the stadium has been in decline, The facilities have slowly crumbled, the press area is now tiny and inadequate, the seating is uncomfortable, and basic facilities – food, drink, toilets – got worse and worse. Unlike many modern stadiums, San Siro lost money. There were numerous debates over what to do, involving politicians, architects, local residents, the two clubs. As the debates dragged on, the stadium continued to fall apart. It is now deemed unsuitable for major tournament games. Something had to be done. One plan was to move away from the area altogether, with both clubs building there own stadiums in different parts of the city.
Another was to knock San Siro down, and build another stadium on the same spot. Some claimed that San Siro could be saved, with massive investment. Many argued that it was an architectural jewel, and could not simply be demolished. The stadium was also dangerous, with some fans falling from its structures.
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Finally, in 2025, a decision was found. Milan’s city council sold the stadium to both clubs for £195 million in a controversial move. A new 71,000 capacity stadium is due to be built right next to the existing structure, which will be demolished around 2031-2032 (although some of the current stadium is protected by heritage laws, so how this will happen remains to be seen). On its own, the demolition will be a vast and dangerous operation. The timescale for all this is unclear, and no final plans have been issued. Much is still murky, and there are judicial investigations ongoing. It seems that both clubs will play on in the old San Siro until the new stadium is ready. The plan also includes parks, hotels, car parks and various other structures. In many ways this is really sad – San Siro could have been saved with investment years ago – but probably it is now too late and too expensive to do so. The old stadium – La scala del calcio – with all its history and memories will be obliterated. But, this is Italy, and many things can happen in the meantime – so don’t hold your breath. San Siro might well survive and any fans who have never been there will still have time to experience its unique – and fading – charm.
John is a professor of Modern Italian History at Bristol University and the author of the highly regarded book 'Calcio: A History of Italian Football'. He will be accompanying our upcoming tours of Milan & Turin and our visit to the San Siro.