Shared football stadiums: 7 clubs that share grounds as AC Milan prepare to face Inter in Champions League

The San Siro will play host to an all Milan derby between AC Milan and Inter Milan as both sides battle it out for a place in the Champions League final in Istanbul.

AC Milan have reached the Champions League semi-final for the first time since winning the competition in 2007 and arch-rivals Inter Milan have also reached the last four for the first time since their Champions League triumph in 2010. The two Milan sides are amongst the most successful teams in Italian football and they both share a record of 19 Serie A titles.

The Italian giants are also known for sharing a stadium and both sides play their home fixtures at the world renowned San Siro stadium which has a huge capacity of 80,000 supporters. AC Milan and Inter are one of the most famous examples of teams sharing stadiums but they are not the only ones in world football to do so.

Here we take a look at some of the most notable examples of teams which share the same ground.

• AS Roma and Lazio - Stadio Olympico

Sharing a stadium is a much more common theme in Italian football than in any other European country. AS Roma and Lazio both call the Stadio Olympico in Rome their home and the pair have both been tenants at the ground since it first opened in 1953.

The 70,000 venue is owned by the Italian National Olympic Committee and it is famous for hosting a range of sporting events including the 1960 Olympic Games, Euro 1968, Euro 1980 and the World Cup in 1990. The Stadio Olympico is used for the Coppa Italia final each year and it played host to star-studded musicians such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones, George Michael and Elton John.

• Ajax and Netherlands national team - Johan Cruyff Arena

The Johan Cruyff arena is the home of the Eredvisie’s most successful football club Ajax and it is also the home ground of the Dutch national football team. The 55,000 capacity stadium was built in 1996 ahead of Euro 2000.

The stadium, which is situated in the Dutch capital was originally known as the Amsterdam Arena until 2018 when it was officially renamed in honour of legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cryuff who died in March 2016. Since opening the arena has played host to the 1998 Champions League final, Euro 2000 semi-final and a number of notable music shows from artists such as The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, U2 and Rihanna.

• Genoa C.F.C and U.C Sampdoria - Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Genoa C.F.C and U.C Sampdoria are another example of two Italian football clubs which share the same stadium. The pair both play their football at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris stadium which opened in 1911, making it the oldest football ground in Italy.

The 33,000 arena has been used by Genoa since 1911 and Sampdoria since 1946. Sampdoria are currently rooted to the bottom of the Serie A table while Genoa are aiming to return to the top-flight after their relegation last season.

• Hellas Verona and Chievo - Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi

Hellas Verona and Chievo were the fourth example of a team in Serie A sharing their ground until 2021 and The Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi stadium is named after the benefactor of Veronese sport.

Hellas Verona have traditionally been the more successful of the two teams and they have spent the majority of their history in the top-flight ahead of Chievo.

The pair competed against each other in the top-flight from 2008 until 2019 but Chievo have since experienced financial difficulties and they were forced to disband their football team in 2021 shortly after their relegation to Serie B.

• Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge - Jan Breydel Stadium

The Jan Breydel Stadium is home to both Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge and it is named after Jan Breydel, who led the Bruges Matins, a riotous rebellion against former King of France Phillip the Fair (Phillip IV).

The stadium holds 29,000 fans and it is known for playing host to a number of games during Euro 2000.

• AIK Fotboll and Sweden national team - Friends Arena

AIK Fotboll are the third most successful team in Allsvenskan football history and they share their home ground with the Sweden national team. The two teams both relocated from their previous home the Rasunda Stadium when this ground opened in 2012.

The Friends Arena is the biggest stadium in Scandinavia and it has a total capacity of 65,000 for concerts and 50,000 at football matches. The stadium hosted its first football game in November 2012 with Zlatan Ibrahimovic firing Sweden to a 4-2 victory against England.