The Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, returned to discuss the San Siro situation on the sidelines of an event at Palazzo Marino. Here are Sala's statements, as reported by Calcio & Finanza:
On the potential sale of San Siro:
"I hope this is the right time: we’re showing the teams the values assessed by the Revenue Agency, and we’ll see what can be done. This is clearly the last chance, with the goal, if the teams agree, of concluding everything before the holidays next year."
He added:
"So, formally, we’re aiming to complete the sale of the stadium and surrounding areas before the holidays next year. The value of the area? We’re determining it with the teams now. First, we’ll present it to them when we meet; it seems right to discuss it with them first."
On the expression of interest, Sala said:
"It’s a big development because we’re moving from the idea of a surface right to an outright purchase, and I would say that’s better for the Municipality and for Milan’s residents. This way, we collect funds that we can reinvest, which I think will go directly into public housing and efforts to support the neighborhood, which is in great need. We’re taking into account the work already done, including the public debate and the work by the City Council, which provided guidance to the administration, and we will respect that. I’ll report to the Council in the coming days. Yesterday, I even intended to step into the chamber, not to talk about this topic since we were still reviewing the paperwork, but after Scaroni spoke, I wanted to explain. If this leads to polemics… I’ll be in the Council soon."
On the constant changes and next steps:
"I don’t know what to do about it; everything happens within minutes and hours," commented Sala. "If Scaroni hadn’t spoken up, I would have addressed it calmly. Everyone has their own views; Beatrice Uguccioni has hers and will decide how to approach the stadium issue. The people of Milan expect answers on this, and I am ready to give them. If the response is to be an endless stream of distinctions and debates… We have work to do."
Sala concluded:
"There will never be complete agreement on this. If there’s a new stadium, some of the population will wonder why we didn’t preserve San Siro, and I understand that. We tried and couldn’t make it work. I bear the burden of this issue, but you can’t please everyone. The important thing is to make decisions and not prolong this drip of complaints and controversies that don’t benefit the city."
