One hundred years ago, in 1925the then president of Milan Piero Pirelliurged the construction of an English-inspired football stadium. Although its official name is Giuseppe Meazza Stadium – in honor of the two-time world champion who wore the shirts of both Milanese teams – for the whole world it is simply San Sirofrom the name of the neighborhood that hosts it. Also known as the ‘Football ladder‘ for its majesty and the prestige it evokes, equal to that of the famous city theatre. Its creation took 13 months and an investment of 5 million lire. The first match to inaugurate the facility was the Milan derby on 19 September 1926, won by Inter with a result of 6-3. Between the Champions League, World Cup, Europa League and Serie A, San Siro has hosted some of the most exciting matches in the history of football, but also other great events such as concerts by Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen or Michael Jackson.
The history of the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium
At the inauguration in 1926 the total seats on four stands they were straight 35,000 and the first goals marked in the doors of the stadium known by the name of the neighborhood that hosts it, was that of the AC Milan player Giuseppe Santagostino. In this first period San Siro was strictly dependent on the activities ofHippodormo which, in fact, had in some sense limited its capacity and had reserved, in the rooms below, some spaces used for stables, barns or fodder warehouses. Almost ten years later, in 1935The Municipality of Milan purchased the plant and decided to implement a first expansion plan. This specifically involved the construction of four curves to connect the existing stands and, at the same time, a modification of the central one, with an increase in capacity up to 55,000 spectators. Exclusive home of Milan until the season 1947/48San Siro was again subject to restoration in 1955. In this work session, a new one was created structure load-bearing with the idea of introducing a second ring of stands above those already present. At this point the payers could be 80,000 totalsof which approx 60,000 to sitand to facilitate access to the second ring, some are inserted helical ramps. Two years later the works were completed night lighting and in 1965 the electronic scoreboard.
Another important date to keep in mind when talking about the history of this stadium is the 1980the year in which it was named after Giuseppe Meazzawho died a few months earlier, in honor of his indissoluble bond with the city of Milan and the legacy, not only football, that he left there. After all, his contribution to Italian football was certainly incredible: twice World champion with the national team and striker of both Milanese teams, recognized by all for his depth talent and its strong personality.
With the advent of the organization of 1990 World Cup on the part of Italy, San Siro reaches its final form, the one that we all know today and which, surely, will be impossible to forget. That same year, many Italian cities began ambitious renovation works on their facilities to raise the general level and make them as suitable as possible to host the upcoming great event. Thanks to the contribution of the architects Giancarlo Guys and Henry Hoffer and the engineer Leo Finzia is made third ring which covers (partly) the stadium, with 11 towers which support it and act as stairs to access it. The final result is 85,700 seatsseats colourful based on the sector to which it belongs e polycarbonate sheets which guarantee anatural lighting to the playing field. A new one is also installed turf heating system in order to regulate the temperature of the ground and avoid any formation of ice.
Why it is also called “Football Ladder”
The lawn of San Siro (or of the Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, whatever you want to call it) has seen glorious years and hosted some of the events most incredible World Cups, not only from a football point of view. For this incredible one notoriety and his mighty I waithas earned the title of “Football Ladder” with explicit reference to the historical Milanese theatre which, in the same way, is considered by all to be one of the most prestigious theaters in the world as well as a temple of entertainment and art, home to artists of the caliber of Greens, Puccini or Nureyev.
The future of the San Siro stadium
In recent times there has been a lot of talk about the future of this system, which many do not consider cutting-edge enough. Probably the failure to be awarded the final of Champions League of 2027 and the no to the candidacy for Euro 2032 by UEFA were seen as strong signals regarding the fate of San Siro.
A few weeks ago, in fact, there was a significant turning point represented by the passage of the plant and the surrounding areas from Municipality of Milan to companies Milan And Inter. The purchase, for a total amount of approx 197 million euroswas finalized after months of internal debate about what to do. The objective of the two Milanese clubs is to use the area for the construction of a brand new facility which, from the report presented, should have a capacity of approximately 71500 seats, museum, store, hotel, restaurants, offices And green areas. To date, the total investment is around 1.29 billion euros with the works that should start in 2027 to be completed, according to estimates, in 2031. The final product will be, following the declarations of the top management, anavant-garde And sustainablewhich adapts perfectly to the needs of society and the territory and which can host various types of events.
Despite the almost total demolition of the “Football Ladder”there would still be a desire to conserve a small part of it, renovate it and use it for purposes commercial, recreational or museums.
