Milan get stadium go-ahead
By Football Italia staff
Milan have officially won the right to build their new stadium in the Portello area of the city – next to Casa Milan.
The project had been in the works for six months, but this evening the Fondazione Fiera Milano finally gave the all-clear.
The Rossoneri hope to have their new purpose-built 48,000-seater arena ready to open for the 2018-19 season.
This Portello area was considered particularly precious because it is facing the high-tech Casa Milan headquarters built recently.
Milan still need clearance from the Milan Council, but this hurdle was considered the most difficult to overcome.
The club out-bid another group trying to rent the land by offering €3.95m per year for 50 years.
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Berlusconi: 'Historic day'
By Football Italia staff
Barbara Berlusconi said Milan’s “historic” new stadium will bring in “from €50m to €80m per year” and follow the London model.
Today the Fondazione Fiera finally gave the all-clear for the Rossoneri to take over the Portello area of the city to build their new arena – right next to the Casa Milan headquarters – ready for the 2018-19 campaign.
“This is the first historic step to make Milan like London,” said joint-CEO Barbara Berlusconi.
“Today with the decision of the Fondazione Fiera, we can officially begin the journey towards our new stadium. It is the first step, as we still need to present the entire project to the institutions for approval.
“This remains an historic day. Ours is first of all a cultural challenge. It is for Milan that we are proposing an urban stadium, to favour the development of the area that will host us, make it more secure and a symbol for the city, to completely change the mentality of those who come to the stadium by providing services and moments of entertainment that go beyond the 90 minutes of the game.
“At the same time, we will work to discourage private transport and favour public transport. Milan, therefore, will be like London.
“In fact, London too has urban stadiums that are reached via the underground system and allowed the improvement of areas where they were constructed.
“It is also indispensable to develop the commercial power of the club. The stadium will bring from €50m to €80m per year.
“These are resources that can also be used to buy new players.”