AC Milan and Inter are set to follow a host of Europe's biggest clubs in constructing an all-new stadium, with the iconic Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in San Siro to be demolished.
The likes of Arsenal, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Tottenham have all invested in new state-of-the art stadiums in recent years, while even Real Madrid and Barcelona have committed to extensive renovations.
Built in 1926, San Siro is one of the most striking buildings in football and has played host to World Cup matches, as well as four European Cup finals.
It has been renovated before, so why not again? Goal brings you everything you need to know about the future of the new San Siro.
Contents
Why is San Siro being demolished?
San Siro is set to be demolished in order to make way for a new stadium and entertainment complex which will serve as the home ground of Milan and Inter.
Next Match
The existing stadium has been remodeled on a number of occasions in the past, but a decision was reached not to renovate due, chiefly, to the financial cost of such a venture.
As well as an estimated cost of €510 million (£463m/$582m), the clubs were projected to miss out on €115 million (£105m/$130m) during the construction work, which was anticipated to last roughly five years.
Building a brand new stadium is expected to cost in the region of €650 million (£590m/$740m) and it is hoped that it will be completed in a period of three years.
Italy's heritage authority has given the green light for a demolition, but there are a number of administrative stages to pass before it can happen.
The clubs have agreed with the city of Milan to preserve some of the old stadium as part of a "sports and entertainment district".
"AC Milan and FC Internazionale have shared a stadium in San Siro for more than 70 years," said Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni of the venture.
"The project's strength is the two club's commitment together for the new Milano stadium. It means increased investments and a common goal to give the city a sports and entertainment district which is alive all year round thanks to events involving both teams and creating jobs for more than 3,500 people."
What stadium will replace San Siro?
Two stadium designs have been submitted by Milan and Inter, but it is not yet clear which will be chosen.
The Cathedral
Architecture and design firm Populous have produced plans for a new stadium called 'The Cathedral', which is inspired by the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II and the Duomo di Milano.
The designs promise it will be "the most sustainable stadium in Europe", with an "intimate" seating structure that aims to bring supporters as close to the action as possible.
Populous
The capacity of the new stadium will be somewhat smaller than the existing stadium - roughly 60,000 seats instead of 75,000 - with the clubs acknowledging that average attendances have decreased.
Of course, modern-day stadiums are built in such a way that football fans could spend much of their day at the venues, with retail and food outlets inherent to the design.
The stadium will be surrounded by 22 acres of "green space" and there will be a municipal park area - including an open-air gym, museum and running track - for citizens and visitors to enjoy.
Populous
Populous have been central to the design of a number of impressive stadiums in recent years, including Wembley Stadium, the Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
They have also been involved with the famous Soccer City in Johannesburg and Allianz Field, home to Major League Soccer side Minnesota United.
The Rings of Milan
Manica's design proposal for the reimagined San Siro - Nuovo Stadio Milano - is built around the notion of two interlinked rings - representing AC Milan and Inter.
Like Populous' design, the interior of the stadium will bring the supporters closer to the pitch, creating a more intimate atmosphere, while panels on the exterior of the stadium will show the faces of over 16,000 fans.
Manica/Sportium
The two teams' curvas will be lit up in their respective colours - red for AC Milan and blue for Inter - and the stadium will also be lit exclusively in red or blue when just one of the teams is playing - similar to the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Particular focus is also applied to the surrounding area, which will be transformed into a wider sports and entertainment complex, capturing the essence of Milan's football heritage in San Siro.
Manica/Sportium
Manica (when working with Populous) was involved in the design work of Wembley Stadium and it is involved in Barcelona's New Camp Nou project, as well as Allegiant Stadium - home of Las Vegas Raiders. The company has also had a hand in the new Inter Miami stadium in Florida and the new Cagliari stadium in Sardinia.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
