MILAN, (Reuters) – AC Milan is kicking off a process to build a new stadium on the outskirts of Milan, the Italian soccer club said on Wednesday, after efforts to replace the city’s historic San Siro arena led nowhere.
The club said it had filed a preliminary proposal with the city council of San Donato, a suburb south of Milan, targeting an area where it wants to build a new 70,000 seat stadium, alongside the club headquarters and a museum.
Like other Italian top clubs, AC Milan, which is controlled by U.S. fund RedBird, does not own an arena, which is seen as a key driver to boost revenue.
The club and their local rival Inter Milan have been in talks for years with the city of Milan to advance a joint project to rebuild San Siro, which was built in the 1920s as the home ground of both clubs.
The project stalled amid political resistance and heritage rules in Italy that protect historic buildings.
