San Siro to be knocked down

AC Milan and Inter are moving ahead with plans to demolish their famous San Siro stadium, Rossoneri president Paolo Scaroni has claimed.

Commonly known as San Siro for the district of Milan in which it is situated, the Giuseppe Meazza stadium is one of the most iconic grounds in European football.

It hosted matches at the 1990 World Cup, while it has also been the setting of four European Cup and Champions League finals, the most recent of which being in 2016, when Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Despite its status in world football, San Siro has long been regarded as in need of refurbishment, but the two Milan clubs are planning to rebuild it completely instead.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Scaroni said: "Everything is proceeding.

"We will make a new San Siro together, next to the old one in the same area of land. The old man will be knocked down and in its place there will be new buildings built."

Scaroni was speaking in Lausanne, Switzerland, ahead of the Olympic Committee's selection of the hosts for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday.

Milan is a candidate city and Scaroni dreams of seeing the new San Siro host the opening ceremony.

"It's an extremely complicated process," Scaroni added. "It would be beautiful to have the Olympics' opening ceremony in the new San Siro, but we are not certain."

The stadium was officially opened in 1926, with Milan taking up residence straight away.

Milan and Inter have shared the ground since 1947.