San Siro
Encyclopedia
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium
located in the San Siro district in Milan
, Italy
. It is the home of both A.C. Milan
and F.C. Internazionale Milano
. The stadium is named in honour of Giuseppe Meazza
, the two-time World Cup
winner (1934
, 1938
) who played for Internazionale, and briefly for Milan, in the 1930s and 1940s. It held UEFA five-star stadium status which was superseded by a new system of classification.
As well as being used by Milan and Inter, the Italian national team also plays occasional games there and it has also been used for the 1965, 1970, and 2001 UEFA Champions League finals. The stadium was also used for Internazionale's UEFA Cup finals when played over home and away legs but has never featured since the competition changed to a single final structure in 1997–98.
The stadium underwent further renovations for the 1990 World Cup
with $60 million being spent, bringing the stadium up to UEFA category four standard. As part of the renovations, the stadium became all seated
, with an extra tier being added to three sides of the stadium. This entailed the building of 11 concrete towers around the outside of the stadium. Four of these concrete towers were being located at the corners to support a new roof which has distinctive protruding red girders.
Inter is in the process of new stadium feasibility studies.
The first Rugby Union
international at the San Siro took place when Italy
played New Zealand national rugby union team in the 2009 end of year rugby tests
.
! Season
! Milan average
! Inter average
! Milan trophies
! Inter trophies>
1980–81
31,282
42,248
1981–82
45,781
43,970
1982–83
35,111
45,171
1983–84
53,136
43,388
1984–85
60,941
52,572
1985–86
56,782
53,622
1986–87
66,210
53,215
1987–88
73,284
47,812
Serie A
1988–89
73,209
58,175
European Cup
Intercontinental Cup
Serie A
1989–90
59,054
50,142
European Cup
Intercontinental Cup
1990–91
77,488
54,946
UEFA Cup
1991–92
77,868
48,783
Serie A
1992–93
75,830
45,126
Serie A
1993–94
65,708
49,469
Serie A
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Cup
1994–95
56,659
40,523
1995–96
60,973
46,873
Serie A
1996–97
55,894
50,806
1997–98
54,432
67,825
UEFA Cup
1998–99
57,760
68,459
Serie A
1999–00
58,522
66,546
2000–01
52,304
55,582
2001–02
58,616
62,434
2002–03
61,534
61,943
Coppa Italia
UEFA Champions League
2003–04
63,245
58,352
Serie A
2004–05
63,595
57,295
Coppa Italia
2005–06
59,993
51,371
Serie A*
Coppa Italia
2006–07
47,117
48,284
UEFA Champions League
Serie A
2007–08
56,579
52,010
UEFA Super Cup
Serie A
2008–09
59,731
55,345
Serie A
2009–10
43,084
53,493
Serie A
Coppa Italia
UEFA Champions League
2010-11
53,924
59,277
Serie A
Coppa Italia
* = Inter awarded Serie A title in wake of Italian match-fixing scandal
.
The San Siro was also the venue for the boxing
match between Duilio Loi
vs. Carlos Ortiz
for the Junior Welterweight
title in 1960.
In November 2009, Italy
played the All Blacks in rugby in front of a sold out crowd of 80,000, a record for Italian Rugby. The score finished at 20–6 in the All Blacks' favour.
, line 16 ends right in front, or using the Lotto metro station (line 1, red color, direction Rho Fiera) which is approx a 15 minutes walk from San Siro. Before sport events and concerts, a free bus connection is available from Lotto station to the stadium.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in the San Siro district in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is the home of both A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. The stadium is named in honour of Giuseppe Meazza
Giuseppe Meazza
Giuseppe "Peppino" Meazza , also known as il Balilla, was an Italian footballer playing mainly for Internazionale in the 1930s, scoring 242 goals in 365 games for the club. He led Italy to win two World Cups: in 1934 and in 1938, winning the Golden Ball Award in 1934. He is widely considered the...
, the two-time World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
winner (1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, 1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
) who played for Internazionale, and briefly for Milan, in the 1930s and 1940s. It held UEFA five-star stadium status which was superseded by a new system of classification.
History
Construction of the stadium commenced in 1925 in the district of Milan named San Siro, with the new stadium originally named "Nuovo Stadio Calcistico San Siro" (San Siro New Football Stadium). The idea to build a stadium in the same district as the horse racing track, belongs to the man who then was the president of AC Milan, Piero Pirelli. The architects designed a private stadium only for football, without the athletics tracks which characterized the Italian stadia built with public funds. The inauguration was on September 19, 1926, when 35,000 spectators saw Internazionale defeat Milan 6–3. Originally, the ground was home and property of AC Milan. In 1947 Internazionale became tenants and the two have shared the ground ever since.As well as being used by Milan and Inter, the Italian national team also plays occasional games there and it has also been used for the 1965, 1970, and 2001 UEFA Champions League finals. The stadium was also used for Internazionale's UEFA Cup finals when played over home and away legs but has never featured since the competition changed to a single final structure in 1997–98.
The stadium underwent further renovations for the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
with $60 million being spent, bringing the stadium up to UEFA category four standard. As part of the renovations, the stadium became all seated
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
, with an extra tier being added to three sides of the stadium. This entailed the building of 11 concrete towers around the outside of the stadium. Four of these concrete towers were being located at the corners to support a new roof which has distinctive protruding red girders.
Inter is in the process of new stadium feasibility studies.
The first Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international at the San Siro took place when Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
played New Zealand national rugby union team in the 2009 end of year rugby tests
2009 end of year rugby tests
The 2009 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, tour the northern hemisphere....
.
Renovations
- 1939 End stands enlarged and corners filled in. A crowd of 55,000 for ItalyItaly national football teamThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
– EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
2–2. - 1940 65,000 for Italy vs. GermanyGermany national football teamThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. - 1955 Completion of two tiers giving a claimed capacity of 100,000.
- 1956 April 25, in front of 100,000 spectators, Italy – Brazil 3–0 (Goals: Virgili 2, De Sordi).
- After the Heysel Stadium disasterHeysel Stadium disasterThe Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
, the capacity was reduced to 80,000 in the mid 1980s. - 1987 As a preparation for the 1990 World Cup1990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, the Italian government gave the Milanese council $30 million for its modernization, but in the end, the cost was more than double that. Project 1990 by Ragazzi e Hoffner e Salvi: 11 concrete towers of 50 meters in height. Of the 11 towers, 4 at each corner, protruded above the 3rd tier as support for the new roof. - 1990 Third tier completed on three sides giving an all seated capacity of 85,700.
- 2002 Sky Box: 20 for 200 seats. 400 all-seats for journalists.
- Future renovation may involve the completion of the 3rd tier on the east side of the stadium, although this would involve purchasing land from the present hippodromeHippodromeA hippodrome was a Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words "hippos and "dromos"...
, behind the stadium.
Pitch
- Length: 105 metreMetreThe metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
s - Width: 68 metreMetreThe metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
s - Surface: Grass
- Inauguration: September 19, 1926
Average attendances
! Milan average
! Inter average
! Milan trophies
! Inter trophies>
Serie A 1980-81
The 1980/1981 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
Serie A 1981-82
The 1981/1982 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:Juventus FC became the first, and as of 2011, the only team in Italian football to be awarded two golden stars, to commemorate their 20th title win.-Results:...
Serie A 1982-83
The 1982/1983 Serie A season was won by A.S. Roma.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
Serie A 1983-84
The 1983/1984 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C. It was a tight championship, won only on the last day of the season.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:...
Serie A 1984-85
The 1984/1985 Serie A season heralded Hellas Verona's first and so far only Scudetto. Unusually, none of the big three of Juventus, AC Milan or Inter managed to finish in the top two...
Serie A 1985-86
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
Serie A 1986-87
The 1986/1987 Serie A season ended with S.S.C. Napoli doing the "domestic double", winning their first Scudetto and third Coppa Italia, spurred on by their talismanic captain Diego Maradona....
Serie A 1987-88
The 1987/1988 Serie A season marked A.C. Milan's first Scudetto under the Silvio Berlusconi era and their first since the 1978/1979 season. S.S.C. Napoli, with a team including Diego Maradona, Ciro Ferrara and Careca were pre-season favourites. The championship went down to the last day of the...
European Cup 1988-89
The season 1988–89 of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time since 1969, and third time overall, by AC Milan comfortably in the final against former winners Steaua Bucureşti...
Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup may refer to:*Intercontinental Cup , a world football competition run by UEFA and CONMEBOL*ICC Intercontinental Cup, a first-class cricket competition run by the International Cricket Council for 12 of its associate members...
Serie A 1989-90
Another dominant year for Napoli, with Diego Maradona being among the leading goalscorers in Serie A , behind Marco Van Basten of Milan and Roberto Baggio of Fiorentina .-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:...
European Cup 1989-90
The 1989–90 European Cup was the 35th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament, the European Cup. The final was played at the Praterstadion in Vienna on 23 May 1990. The final was contested by Italian defending champions Milan and Portuguese two-time former winners Benfica. Milan...
Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup may refer to:*Intercontinental Cup , a world football competition run by UEFA and CONMEBOL*ICC Intercontinental Cup, a first-class cricket competition run by the International Cricket Council for 12 of its associate members...
Serie A 1990-91
-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:19 goals* Gianluca Vialli 16 goals* Lothar Matthäus 15 goals* Carlos Aguilera * Tomáš Skuhravý 14 goals* Roberto Baggio...
UEFA Cup 1990-91
The UEFA Cup 1990–91 was won by Internazionale on aggregate over Roma. This tournament also marked the return of English clubs after a five-year ban resulting from the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985...
Serie A 1991-92
During this season, under the guidance of Fabio Capello, AC Milan completed a remarkable unbeaten season, a run that eventually totalled 58 games.- Final classification :- Results :-Top scorers:25 goals* Marco van Basten 18 goals...
Serie A 1993-94
The 1993–94 Serie A was won by A.C. Milan, being the 14th title for the rossoneri.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:23 goals* Giuseppe Signori 18 goals* Gianfranco Zola 17 goals* Roberto Baggio...
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 1993-94
The 1993–94 UEFA Champions League was the 39th edition of UEFA's top club football tournament, and the second since the tournament was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. The competition was won by A.C. Milan, their fifth title, beating Barcelona 4–0 in the final...
Serie A 1995-96
The 1995–96 Serie A title was won by A.C. Milan , with Juventus finishing as runners-up.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:24 goals* Igor Protti...
Serie A 1997-98
Juventus won the title in controversial circumstances. In their match on Sunday, 26 April 1998, against eventual runners-up, Inter, Ronaldo was denied what appeared a clear penalty for Inter after being blocked by Mark Iuliano of Juventus. Had the penalty been awarded and then dispatched, the...
UEFA Cup 1997-98
The UEFA Cup 1997–98 was won by Internazionale comfortably in an all-Italian final against Lazio. It was their third title in eight years in the competition....
Serie A 1998-99
AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro...
Serie A 1999-00
Lazio won the title on the final day of the season in controversial cirumstances. Juventus, the only other team left in contention on the day lost their match against Perugia in terrible conditions at a rain-sodden Stadio Renato Curi, many considering the pitch unplayable. Pierluigi Collina the...
Serie A 2000-01
In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
Serie A 2001-02
In the 2001-02 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
Serie A 2002-03
In the 2002-03 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
Coppa Italia 2002-03
- Second Round :-First leg:---------Second leg:--------Milan win Coppa Italia 6–3 on aggregate.-References:*...
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2002-03
The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, who beat Juventus on penalties in the European Cup's...
Serie A 2003-04
The 2003-2004 season in Italian Serie A football contained 18 teams for the 16th and last time from the 1988-89 season. With the bottom three being relegated, the 15th placed side would face the 6th highest team from Serie B, with the winner playing in the Serie A in 2004-2005.As usual, the top two...
Serie A 2004-05
In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years....
Coppa Italia 2004-05
-Group 1:-Group 2:-Group 3:-Group 4:-Group 5:-Group 6:-Group 7:-Group 8:-Knockout stage:-First leg:---------Second leg:--------Inter win Coppa Italia 3–0 on aggregate.-References:*...
Serie A 2005-06
In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006...
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia 2005-06
The 2005–06 Coppa Italia was the 58th edition of the tournament. For the second consecutive season, Roma and Internazionale were the finalists. Inter won the tournament by a score of 4–1 agreggate in the final...
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
Serie A 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...
Serie A 2008-09
The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008...
Coppa Italia
UEFA Champions League
2006 Serie A scandal
The 2006 Italian football scandal involved Italy's top professional football leagues, Serie A and Serie B...
.
Capacity
| Year | Total capacity |
|---|---|
| 1926 | 26,000 |
| 1939 | 55,000 |
| 1955 | 100,000 |
| 1956 | 90,000 |
| 1988 | 72,000 |
| 1990 | 88,500 |
| 2002 | 85,700 |
| 2003 | 82,955 |
| 2008 | 81,277 |
Other events
Other than football matches, the San Siro has been host to many music concerts.The San Siro was also the venue for the boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match between Duilio Loi
Duilio Loi
Duilio Loi was an Italian boxer who held the Italian and European lightweight and welterweight titles, as well as the world junior welterweight championship. Loi fought from 1948 to 1962, and retired with a record of 115 wins , 3 losses and 8 draws...
vs. Carlos Ortiz
Carlos Ortiz
For the Cuban wrestler with the same name see Carlos Julian OrtízCarlos Ortiz is a Puerto Rican who was a three time world boxing champion, twice in the lightweight division and once in the Jr. Welterweights....
for the Junior Welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
title in 1960.
In November 2009, Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
played the All Blacks in rugby in front of a sold out crowd of 80,000, a record for Italian Rugby. The score finished at 20–6 in the All Blacks' favour.
Location
The stadium is located in the western part of Milan. The stadium can be reached by tramTrams in Milan
The Milan tramway network is an important part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Milan, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy.In operation since 1876, the network is presently about long...
, line 16 ends right in front, or using the Lotto metro station (line 1, red color, direction Rho Fiera) which is approx a 15 minutes walk from San Siro. Before sport events and concerts, a free bus connection is available from Lotto station to the stadium.