Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has called for “respecting the timelines” regarding San Siro stadium, but the critical decision on its sale to Inter and AC Milan clubs – initially targeted for July – has been postponed to September. This creates a race against time, as the 70-year preservation status on the stadium’s second tier activates on November 10th, after which demolition – central to the clubs’ redevelopment plans – becomes legally impossible.
Sala announced in the city council that the legislative process concerning the stadium “must be restarted,” listing it among “the many fronts on which Milanese politics must act,” but specified this would happen “from September.” This delay stems from a corruption investigation into urban planning practices, which includes the stadium deal as a potential target. The probe has stalled a dossier open since 2019 just as it seemed near completion.
The mayor’s original roadmap, outlined before the judicial “earthquake,” was clear: following the Regional Administrative Court’s (TAR) rejection of an injunction sought by the ‘Si Meazza’ Committee, a resolution on the €197 million sale was due for a council vote by July 31st. However, political pressure from Sala’s own majority coalition, already divided over the project with at least five councillors opposing the sale, forced a rethink. The judicial storm amplified these doubts.
Opposition voices were strong. Angelo Bonelli (Greens) stated, “Milan needs a turning point: the priority is certainly not selling San Siro stadium to demolish it and build a real estate operation that further denatures the urban identity.” Carlo Monguzzi, a long-time Green councillor opposed to the sale, dismissed the delay, saying “Sixty days sooner or later changes nothing.” Onorio Rosati (Green-Left Alliance) demanded “a halt to urban planning decisions,” starting with San Siro.
Faced with the prosecutor’s scrutiny of urban planning matters now encompassing the stadium, even the Democratic Party (PD), while reaffirming “support and backing” for Sala, urged slowing down the process. After reflection, Sala conceded in the council chamber: “We must, from September, restart the legislative process related to the stadium.” This postponement risks derailing a deal that seemed settled after years of negotiation.
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