The Stadium

The stadium was built at the behest of Milan president Piero Pirelli in 1926. The project was entrusted to engineers Alberto Cugini and Ulisse Stacchini, and the ground rose in the San Siro district, from which it took its popular name. The first official match was played on 19 September 1926, with Milan facing Inter in an inaugural derby.

Initially the stadium could hold around 35,000 spectators, with stands on only two sides of the pitch. The structure was designed to meet the footballing needs of Milan, who were its first and sole occupants for several years.

In 1935 the City of Milan purchased the stadium and granted its use to Inter as well, who began playing there regularly from 1947. From that moment on, San Siro became the shared home of the two Milanese clubs, a unique case in world football.

In 1980 the stadium was named after Giuseppe Meazza, the legendary footballer who wore the shirts of both Inter and Milan and was a two-time World Cup winner with Italy in 1934 and 1938. Since then the official name of the ground has been Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, although for everyone it remains simply San Siro.

For the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the stadium underwent an extensive renovation. The third tier and the iconic four cylindrical towers were added, designed by architects Giancarlo Ragazzi and Enrico Hoffer. The capacity was raised to over 85,000 seats, making San Siro one of the largest and most imposing stadiums in Europe.

Over the years the capacity has been progressively reduced to comply with safety regulations and to improve spectator comfort, down to the current figure of approximately 75,817 seats. Despite this, San Siro remains one of the largest grounds in Italy and among the biggest in Europe.

San Siro has been shared between AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano since 1947, when Inter moved into the stadium that Milan had built twenty years earlier. Since then, the two clubs have alternated home matches, with a rotation system that has been well established over the decades.

This coexistence makes San Siro one of the most famous shared stadiums in the world. Few grounds in European football host two clubs of such stature under the same roof, and this has helped create a unique atmosphere, fuelled by sporting rivalry and the passion of both sets of fans.

It is at San Siro that the Derby della Madonnina is played, one of the most fiercely contested and celebrated derbies in world football. The derby takes its name from the Madonnina, the golden statue atop Milan Cathedral, a symbol of the city. Every derby transforms the stadium into a cauldron of emotion, with over 75,000 fans split between the red-and-black and blue-and-black colours.