Euro 2032, Milan risk being left out: the new San Siro worries the FIGC

The old San Siro has dropped out of the running. For Milan, everything now hinges on the new San Siro. The project itself is not in doubt, but the real issue is timing. The work is due to be completed by June 2031, the deadline set by Uefa. Milan will have to hit that date with no room for error: even the slightest delay or change of plan could prove decisive, for better or worse, for the city's bid. The road ahead is still long and far from clear. Before construction begins in 2028, the project must be presented, followed by the implementation plan, the observations phase and the environmental impact study, right through to final approval of the implementation plan. Milan and the new San Siro will therefore have to move quickly. The calendar leaves little time: on 1 October, the FIGC must inform Uefa of the five Italian candidate cities, with the option of also naming some reserve venues.

Milan's problem is the strength of the competition. Rome will head into the October appointment with as many as two heavyweight bids : the Stadio Olimpico, which needs renovation work, and the new Pietralata stadium, whose procedural process is already around a year ahead of that of the new San Siro. Behind the capital, the list of candidates is still long and strong. The Juventus Stadium is certain to feature in the dossier, while Napoli and Florence are ready to push on with major renovation work on their respective stadiums. And that is not all. Palermo, Bologna, Bari, Genoa, Lecce, Salerno, Turin and Verona also have concrete projects and ambitions , with dossiers that cannot be underestimated. The race towards Euro 2032 has already started. Milan, paradoxically, risk having to play their biggest match off the pitch: the new San Siro must meet deadlines and clear bureaucratic hurdles, because the city's footballing prestige alone will not be enough to guarantee a place among the five Italian host venues for the European Championship.