Ivan Gazidis, in a lengthy interview during Futbol podcast show hosted by Grant Wahl (which you can read the full version of here).
The Milan CEO spoke about the importance of having a new stadium for the Rossoneri.
"There are several pillars on which to base our growth. One of these is that of the stadium. We play at San Siro, one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, it is an institution for the club and for the city of Milan. However, the first ring of San Siro was built in 1924, the second in 1950 and the third in 1990. It is one of those ancient stadiums that does not have the adequate facilities required by modern sport.”
“In MLS, we have seen what the development of stadiums has meant for the general growth of the movement, we have seen it in the Premier League: here in Italy there is a need for new stadiums, new structures, inclusive and appropriate for the next generation of fans.”
“Building a new stadium here in Milan is one of our priorities. Over the past two years we have made a lot of progress on this topic: we have received preliminary approval from the Municipality of Milan, we have developed a plan for what we believe will be the best stadium in the world. All this is possible because there are two giants of Italian football, Milan and Inter, who will share the stadium. This will allow us to do very special things. It will be iconic.”
“The second pillar is to modernise the club. Develop the digitalization of the club to reach as many fans as possible around the world. We have more than 500 million fans, but when I arrived two years ago the club did not have an official application for example. From this point of view we are growing and improving visibly, last week we inaugurated the “Studios” to develop original digital content. We have also brought new commercial partners despite the fact that, due to Covid, the period is very complicated from this point of view. Our partner network has grown, revenues are improving.”
“Finally, there is another very important piece: in this historical period we are talking about how the future of European football will develop and it is very important that Milan also participate actively and centrally in this topic of discussion. We are at the discussion table in an active and respected position both in Italy and in Europe. Milan will be at the center of the next developments in national and international football. Everything is moving in the right direction.”
