GdS: Accessibility, sustainability, connectivity – what Milan want from their new home | OneFootball

There continues to be conflicting news coming out regarding the new stadium plans for AC Milan and Inter, but some information on the ‘new San Siro’ project has emerged.

There was a meeting on Tuesday involving several key figures and reports emerged afterwards stating that it could lead the clubs to submit an expression of interest regarding the construction of a shared stadium again in the San Siro area.

Milan president Paolo Scaroni has since stated that San Donato remains the number one priority for the Rossoneri, after the Mayor of San Donato requested an urgent meeting having read the newspaper articles. However, it is natural to keep back-up options open.

La Gazzetta dello Sport report that some information on the San Siro idea can be revealed. In particular, there are three key words that will guide the project: accessibility, sustainability and connectivity.

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Accessibility

The first key word means the idea of making San Siro open for people with disabilities, something that has been a critical issue for the structure of the current stadium, obviously built long before the current regulations came into force.

People with disabilities today, for safety reasons and the layout of the facility, can only watch the match in limited areas of the stadium and with a reduced number of seats, around 250.

In the new stadium, if it is a new stadium, access to all sectors must be guaranteed, for all people with disabilities, not just physical ones. Inter and Milan have been committed to this from day one.

Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is the great theme of social responsibility for the present and future. The new San Siro, according to the project presented to ministers Giuli and Abodi, will also look in this direction and will include – among other things – photovoltaic panels on the roof for energy production.

At the moment a covered stadium is not in the plans, even if it would help with noise pollution, another topic on the agenda in the controversies of neighbourhood committees. Milan have also already ruled out a retractable roof solution for its San Donato facility.

The reason for that is cost-based. The figure hypothesised for a Milan-owned stadium in San Donato is €1.3bn, and that would increase further with such a complex architectural solution.

Photo: ACMilan.com

Connectivity

Those who frequent San Siro know that, before and during the match, it is not easy to make phone calls or browse the web, given the 70,000 smartphones that are within a close proximity. San Siro, technologically, is a backward stadium and technology is changing the concept of watching the event.

The ideas to fix it? Dedicated screens for spectators, apps that allow you to see statistics or replays of the actions, plus order food and buy club merchandise. High-speed wi-fi connectivity services and exclusive online content will be considered too.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which remains a great point of reference for Milan in the design of the San Donato stadium, in this sense is one of the most advanced examples in the world. The new stadium at San Siro, if it ever comes to be, will go in that direction.