Milan’s iconic San Siro stripped of hosting 2027 Champions League final | OneFootball

UEFA has reportedly reopened the bidding process to host the 2027 Champions League final after stripping Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium of the hosting privileges.

The famous stadium, which is currently the home ground of AC Milan and Inter Milan, last hosted the 2016 European Cup final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

The European football’s governing body confirmed Milan as the 2027 host city in May. But they will stage the final elsewhere after local authorities couldn’t guarantee the stadium wouldn’t be impacted by planned refurbishment works.

UEFA released a statement that read (per ESPN): “As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, it was decided not to assign the final to Milan and to reopen the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025.”

The San Siro is one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world and has staged some massive games during its 99-year history.

It was built by Milan president Piero Pirelli, but the Rossoneri and Inter have been sharing the venue since 1947.

The stadium’s current capacity is 80,000, but it is set to undergo a major refurbishment to bring it in line with sport’s more modern stadiums.

The refurbishment work is part of the preparations for the 2023 European Championship in Italy.