The iconic San Siro stadium in Milan will not be torn down, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. For years, there were discussions about demolishing the San Siro to make way for a new stadium shared by both AC Milan and Inter Milan.
However, this plan has hit a roadblock. The Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy has determined that the stadium's second tier holds cultural significance, making it a protected site. This means the San Siro, which will turn 70 in 2025, cannot be demolished.
Both Milan clubs had been preparing for this outcome and will now need to explore other options for their stadiums. This might lead to them no longer sharing the same home ground, something they've been doing since 1947.
A statement from the Commission said: "The Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy expressed a positive opinion on the existence of cultural heritage of the second tier at the San Siro stadium, in view of future verification under art. 12 of Legislative Decree 42/2004."
"Thus, the committee endorses the proposal of the Superintendence. It should also be noted that the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence for Lombardy, during the same session, recalled the value of the west grandstand of the stadium as an 'exposed archive' for the plaques/epigraphs documenting the national and international successes of Inter and Milan."