Paolo Scaroni, president of Milan, spoke to DAZN about the new stadium project that the Rossoneri will build together with Inter:
On San Siro:
"What works at San Siro? The fact that we all have an emotional attachment and that the matches are easy to watch, there is no doubt about that. Everything else did not work: accessibility, sustainability, dedicated spaces, comfort, safety, all of these aspects did not meet modern standards that new stadiums provide, in addition to watching the matches well."
On the new stadium:
"It will be a beautiful stadium, the most beautiful in Europe, a pride for Milano. It will help continue this wonderful phase for Milan, which is becoming an increasingly attractive center, as we saw with the Olympics. With the help of Redbird and Cardinale, we will be able to make this stadium a gathering place throughout the week, not just for matches. Architecturally, it will be designed by the best architects in the world. It will have 71,500 seats, maintaining the current capacity of San Siro. We will give our fans the opportunity to spend more time at the stadium, with comfort completely different from what exists now. We will improve on what English, French, and German stadiums already offer today," as relayed via Milan News.
On why build the stadium together with Inter:
"It took us seven years to plan one stadium; imagine how long it would have taken to build two in Milan. From this perspective, being together was a practical solution. Milan and Inter have the advantage of having similar needs, which made things easier. If you consider other cities where two clubs are very different, this idea would have been impossible. Making this stadium a home for two major international clubs like Milan and Inter will make it even more of an icon than the San Siro has been up to now."
On how the new stadium will be built:
"Our architects are working, and I expect to receive the first proposals in the coming weeks. I can say it will be a very vertical stadium, even closer to the pitch than San Siro, so the view will be even better. We will have all the facilities, including digital and electronic features that will enhance the match experience."
On bureaucracy:
"Reflecting on my experience, when I first said that San Siro is an old stadium and we need to build a new one, even my friends told me I was crazy. Given this widespread opinion, I understand why the city administration had reservations. But especially thanks to the World Cup in Qatar and the European Championship in Germany, people saw on TV what modern stadiums are like, and public opinion started to change. Since the City of Milan agreed to the idea of transferring San Siro and building a new facility in the same area, we were able to move forward quite quickly. I dealt with several entities, like the City and Region, and once the decision was made to proceed, I found them all very cooperative. A stadium commissioner will be appointed, and I am optimistic that Italy can finally modernize its sports facilities."
