According to ESPN Soccer, the decision to build a new stadium was made after much debate and bureaucracy, with the two clubs opting for option C: building a new stadium adjacent to the old one and then knocking it down. The new stadium, led by Foster + Partners and MANICA, is set to begin construction in 2028, with the hope AC Milan and rivals/co-inhabitants Internazionale will be installed by 2031.
Former AC Milan midfielder Alessandro Costacurta, who played 663 matches for the club, has spoken about the emotional attachment he has to San Siro. "Some love that pressure or fear it, but I found it almost emotional," he says. "And from then on, I had to play for AC Milan in that stadium. It gave me a push -- from 13 to 19 [years old] that's all I thought about, to be able to stand there, in red and black, and pass the ball to my teammates."
Despite his attachment to the stadium, Costacurta understands why the club needs to move forward. "I am very attached to San Siro, but I believe the club needs something new and modern. You must move the story forward," he says. The old stadium will be dismantled, brick by brick, tower by tower -- it will become a place of ghosts and echoes, rather than the vibrant, intoxicating atmosphere created there every weekend.
The new stadium will be built on the same plot as the current one, with the facade set to be unveiled before the end of the year.