San Siro
Stadio San Siro, officially called Stadio Guiseppe Meazza, is the home of Milan clubs AC Milan and FC Internazionale. The stadium has a capacity of 80,018 seats.
The construction of the stadium was a project of Milan president Piero Pirelli, and after a building period of a little over a year the stadium was opened on the 19th of September 1926 with a friendly match between Milan and Inter (3-6). Architect of the stadium was Stacchini, also responsible for the design of Milan’s central station. Initially the stadium could hold 35,000 spectators.
Due to the increasing popularity of Milan in the 1930s it soon proved necessary to increase the capacity of the stadium. Original plans aimed for a capacity of 150,000, however this was later reduced to under 100,000. The expansion works were completed in 1939.
Until 1945 the sole occupant of the stadium was AC Milan as Internazionale played its matches at the Arena Civica. That year the club moved to the San Siro, and since then both clubs have been sharing the ground.
In the 50s another major round of renovation was executed, and a few years later floodlights were installed. In 1980 the stadium was renamed after Guiseppe Meazza, ex-player of Inter as well as Milan. The stadium hosted three group matches during Euro 1980 that year.
With the perspective of the 1990 World Cup, and after having decided against the construction of a new stadium, a series of major renovations were undertaken, of which most importantly the addition of a third tier, and a roof that would cover all seats. To support the extra tier and roof, eleven cylindrical concrete towers were erected around the stadium.
During the 1990 World Cup San Siro could house 85,700 supporters. At the tournament the stadium hosted the opening match between Argentina and Cameroon (0-1), three further group matches, a round of 16 match, and a quarter-final.
In 2008 the capacity was slightly reduced to its current capacity due to UEFA safety requirements.
In its history the stadium hosted three Champions League (European Cup) finals, the first in 1965 (Internazionale-Benfica), the second in 1970 (Feyenoord-Celtic), and the third in 2001 (FC Bayern-Valencia).
Getting there
Stadio San Siro lies in the west of Milan, approximately 5 kilometres from Milan’s city centre, and more than 7 kilometres from Milan’s central station. The stadium lies in a quiet residential area, which has little on offer in terms of entertainment.
Arriving by car from the direction of Turin (A4), Genova (A7), or Bologna (Autostrada del Sole), make your way to the western ring road (Tangenziale Ovest), and take exit 3 to the Via Novara. Signs will direct you from the motorway to the stadium. From the direction of Venezia take the exit towards the Viale Certosa. After the exit signs will guide you to the stadium.
Closest metro station is Lotto Fiera, from which it’s a 20-minute walk to the stadium (shuttles are available on matchdays). Lotto Fiera is on metro line 1 (red), which crosses right through Milan’s city centre (e.g. stops Cairoli, Duomo, and San Babila), and also stops at train station Cadorna (with service to Malpensa airport). Make sure to take metro line 1 in the direction of Rho Fiera. From the central station a change is necessary.
Alternatively San Siro can be reached with tram 16. Take the tram in the centre of Milan (west of Duomo) to Piazzale Segesta.
Due to the construction of a new metro line, accessibility is currently less than usual.
Address: Via dei Piccolomini 5, 20151 Milano
Tickets
Tickets for AC Milan games can be purchased online, at the branches of bank Intesa Sanpaolo, or at the ticket office at the stadium from 10:00 am on the day of the match. Which means that if tickets remain after pre-sale, these can be bought at the stadium on the day of the match. Personal identification is required to buy tickets.
Prices start at €20.00, with most tickets selling for anything up to €50.00, but premium seats for up to €185.00. Prices for the matches against Inter and Juventus are higher, starting at €28.00. Tickets bought through Intesa Sanpaolo are slightly cheaper.
Tickets for Internazionale matches can be bought online, at the branches of bank BPM, or at the branch of book store Feltrinelli at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
For certain matches Internazionale requires possession of the Inter Tessera del Tifoso Club Card (Siamo Noi).
Prices start at €22.00 for matches that fall into category C, which includes most matches. Tickets cost €1.00 more for the matches against Lecce, Napoli and Roma (category B), and Juventus and Milan (category A). Most tickets cost up to €37.00 for category C matches and up to €47.00 for category A matches. Premium seats can cost up to €200.00.
Both clubs only tend to sell out the local derby, the matches against Juventus, and important matches in the course of the championship.
Stadium tours
Stadio San Siro offers daily guided stadium tours that last about 30 to 40 minutes. Tours are in Italian and English and include access to the combined AC Milan and Internazionale museum.
Tours run every 20 minutes between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. The museum is closed and no tours run on matchdays.
No reservations are required. The tour costs €12.00 or €7.00 for access to the museum only.
For more information call +39 02 4042432 or email tour@sansirotour.com.
Relevant Internet links:
ACMilan.com – Official website of AC Milan.
Inter.it – Official website of FC Internazionale.
SanSiro.net – Official website of Stadio San Siro.
SanSirotour.com – Information about the San Siro tour and museum.
Turismo.milano.it – Tourism portal of the city of Milan.
ATM.it – Public transport information for the city of Milan.
