San Siro Stadium: why AC Milan and Inter Milan both play at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - how does it work?

The second semi-final of the UEFA Champions League will take place this evening as an old rivalry is ready to be awoken. AC and Inter Milan will face each other in a two-leg semi-final in the hope of reaching the Ataturk Stadium next month. The winner will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid. After going 1-0 up before half-time thanks to a goal from Vini Jr, Real Madrid were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Kevin De Bruyne evening the playing field in the 67th minute.

Currently, AC are sitting two points out of a place in next year’s Champions League competition with Inter just making the cut, sitting in fourth place in Serie A. Tonight and next week’s fixtures are sure to see some of the most explosive scenes in football, not just on the pitch but most assuredly off it too.

So as the world prepares to return its focus to a city that used to be the centre of attention in European football, the discussion around their shared San Siro Stadium is opened once again with the desperation to move out of the famous Stadio Giuseppe Meazza growing stronger.

But why do AC and Inter share the stadium and what does it entail for home and away logistics?

Why do AC and Inter share a stadium?

The main reason that the two clubs share a club is due to lack of alternatives in the city of Milan and simply the convenience for both sets of fans to reach the stadium. As San Siro is located in the centre of the city, it makes it an easily accessible location for both fans.

The two clubs have shared the Guiseppe Meazza since 1947 and while there are numerous positives, such as allowing costs to be shared, it does mean that parts of the stadium need to be changed in order to represent the colours of the club actually playing.

Is the San Siro stadium going to be demolished?

Reports have suggested that the stadium could be demolished in 2024. This is to pave the way for a new modern £1 billion stadium but last year a senior official in Italy’s culture ministry, Vittorio Sgarbi, said that “San Siro will not be torn down. I am convinced that the stadium should not be demolished, so much for its architectural value as for the importance as a symbol and for the protection of memory.”

The stadium has remained unchanged since 1990 with a new stadium “The Cathedral” planned about 1km for the current site. However, the project has greatly stalled with both Inter and AC looking at individual alternatives on the outskirts of Milan.

When is AC vs Inter Milan?

The first leg, with AC hosting, will take place on Wednesday 10 May. AC fans will therefore dominate the stadium with San Siro portraying the AC colours. The match will kick-off at 8pm and will be available to watch on BT Sport.

Next week’s second leg, which takes place at 8pm on Tuesday 16 May, will be hosted by Inter and will consequently see their fans dominate the home side with Inter colours flying around the Guiseppe Meazza.