Inter Milan and AC Milan have unveiled the design of their proposed 71,500-capacity Generali Stadium, which is expected to replace the historic San Siro from the 2031/32 football season.
The new venue, named after its sponsor, Italian insurance company Generali, will feature a steep seating arrangement designed to bring supporters closer to the action and create an intense matchday atmosphere.
Speaking at the unveiling in Milan on Thursday, architect Norman Foster said the structure would have a low-profile design with elevated sections rising behind both goalposts.
David Manica, a stadium design specialist who worked alongside Foster, said preserving the atmosphere associated with San Siro was a major consideration throughout the planning process.
“The most important thing that we realised when we designed this project is that the San Siro is a feeling,” he said.
“It’s more than a building, it’s a feeling, and everything that we needed to do here was to carry it into the (new) building”.
According to Manica, the design process prioritised bringing spectators as close as possible to the playing surface, with the stands behind the goals featuring a 37-degree slope.
“We brought all the seats as close as possible to the field. They could not be any closer, it’ll actually feel as though you’re sitting on the grass,” he said.
He added that considerable attention had also been given to the stadium’s acoustics, with a roof covering the spectator areas while leaving the pitch exposed to help intensify crowd noise.
“This building is steeper than many other new buildings are built today, and that’s intentional, because it allows us to bring those seats up and over the field as much as possible, and create that sense of intimacy and atmosphere,” he said.
Beyond football, the facility will be suitable for American football, rugby fixtures and musical concerts.
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Manica said the intention was to recreate the emotional connection supporters currently have with San Siro.
“I want the crowd to come to the new stadium and to feel that excitement that they felt before, and to feel the building, living and breathing with them as it does currently,” Manica said.
The two Milan clubs acquired the existing stadium and its surrounding parking facilities for 197 million euros ($219 million), with plans to develop their new joint home on the site.
The construction project is estimated to cost 1.2 billion euros, with work scheduled to begin in 2028.
The new stadium will accommodate 71,500 spectators, fewer than the current San Siro’s capacity of approximately 75,000.
Foster and Manica have previously collaborated on the design of London’s Wembley Stadium.
San Siro, officially known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, is regarded as one of European football’s most recognisable venues and is Italy’s largest stadium.
Opened in 1926, the historic ground has undergone several renovations but is now considered inadequate for the modern requirements of both clubs and their supporters.
The existing structure will be largely demolished as construction of the replacement stadium approaches completion.