Inter gets green light for new San Siro after years‑long legal battle

Inter has, after a four-year legal battle, finally received permission to proceed with the construction of a new stadium, the future San Siro. Five objections that had been filed since 2022 by local residents and organisations were rejected by the administrative court of Lombardy, allowing the project to move forward again.

Legal obstacles removed

In 2022, local residents and several organisations filed five legal objections against the sale of the land surrounding the current Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Four of those disputes were declared inadmissible due to procedural errors; the fifth was examined on its merits and found unfounded. The ruling still allows a possible appeal to the Council of State until 6 April, but the direct brake on the project has been lifted.

Financial and construction plans

The total cost of the new stadium is €2.3 billion, of which €700 million is allocated for a 71,500‑seat football temple. In addition to the arena, a hotel, a shopping centre, an office complex and a large‑scale redevelopment with plenty of greenery are planned. Architectural firms Foster+ Partners and Manica are working on an updated design, and the environmental report must be ready by December.

Next steps and timeline

Inter and their city rivals AC Milan hope to obtain final approval in June 2027, after which construction can begin. The first match in the new temple is scheduled for June 2031, just in time for the European Football Championship that will take place a year later in Italy and Turkey. The American investment funds Oaktree and RedBird, owners of Inter and AC Milan respectively, continue to support the sale of the properties.

Club Brugge has undergone a similar process: for twenty years the Belgian club tried to obtain a permit for a new stadium, but now the “blue‑black” can finally start building as well. Glenn Van Snick Sport reports that the legal breakthrough for Inter is an important step towards a new temple in Milan.