Italy put forward bid to host Champions League final after decade

Milan’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, or San Siro as it is most generally known, has officially submitted a bid to host a Champions League Final. Milan’s mayor has officially approved plans to host the Final in one of the years 2026 or 2027.

It has been ten years since Real Madrid’s penalty shootout victory against Atletico Madrid brought the grand finale of Europe’s most prized competition back to Italy. The timing is intriguing, given that both Inter and Milan have just stated their intentions to leave the arena and construct new stadiums on the outside of the city.

The 2028-29 season is the earliest both organizations are planning to officially welcome fans at their new stadiums. So, the Champions League Final may be the final big event at this legendary venue.

San Siro Stadium is a cultural classic, and the Regional Committee for Cultural Heritage in Lombardy, Italy, took a historic decision to preserve it. The committee opted not to demolish the stadium in August due to its “cultural significance”.

Italy wants to host Champions League Final in either 2026 or 2027

Nine member associations have also shown interest in hosting the 2026 and 2027 UEFA club championships. Nonetheless, these suggestions are not firm offers.

The deadline for submitting bids to UEFA is February 21, 2024. However, next May is when UEFA announces the cities that will play home to the 2026 and 2027 Champions League Finals.

The Italians have shown an interest in the Champions League final, with the sole competitor at present being the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Due to the weak rivalry, the city of Milan has now made a candidacy proposal, Calciomercato revealed.

The finals of the Women’s Champions League and Europa League have attracted attention from Germany, Norway, and Scotland, respectively; the finals of the former have attracted interest from Germany and Romania.

However, Italian soccer authorities picked San Siro out of all other Serie A stadiums. That shows they do not believe that it will be demolished shortly. Rather, the iconic stadium will still be in use.

Will AC Milan and Inter stay at San Siro until then?

For the foreseeable future, one of the most recognizable stadiums in the world will continue to house two of Milan’s most prominent teams: AC Milan and Inter Milan. But things are likely to turn out differently for the Rossoneri in the future.

The location is the primary reason for the club’s interest in a new stadium between 2028 and 2029. The Milan hierarchy, joined by Inter, is angry because the government will not fund renovations to improve San Siro.

There are rules in place to save it because of its architectural significance. Therefore, the authorities are taking every precaution to prevent its destruction. But San Siro may become a dusty museum piece if they neglect to improve it.

Between now and then, their arch-rivals, the Nerazzurri are eager to forward a plan for the Rozzano area.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.