Milan court rejects all five appeals against San Siro sale to Inter and AC Milan

Administrative court dismisses all appeals

The Lombardy Regional Administrative Court in Milan rejected all five legal challenges on 6 October 2026 opposing the sale of the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium and adjacent municipal land to Inter Milan and AC Milan. The ruling consolidated legal actions brought forward since 2022 by neighbourhood associations, activist committees, and local residents seeking to halt the property transfer. The administrative judges dismissed six distinct legal grounds, removing the administrative obstacles that previously stalled the clubs from progressing with their joint venue plans. The land transaction follows a process that began in 2019, when both clubs presented initial proposals to redevelop the San Siro district, replace the century-old stadium, and build a modern multi-functional sports district. The Milan City Council subsequently approved transaction guidelines, leading to a formal property sale contract executed with Stadio San Siro spa on 5 November 2025.

Rejection of procedural challenges and civic filings

Four of the five consolidated appeals were declared inadmissible due to a lack of homogeneous legal interest among the signatories. The court determined that community groups, including the Gruppo Verde San Siro and campaigns led by Comitato Coordinamento San Siro president Gabriella Bruschi, combined non-overlapping private situations with general political criticism.

There is therefore no prescribed requirement of identity of substantive and procedural positions consistently required by jurisprudence for the admissibility of a collective appeal. The appeal would configure, in essence, as a collective initiative aimed at challenging the entire urban-planning and asset transaction by asserting a plurality of non-overlapping interests that, in part, trace back to a civic or political critique of administrative action, which, as such, is not permitted in our legal system.

Only one appeal was evaluated on its merits, filed by mixed-group city councillor Enrico Fedrighini. Fedrighini contested the council's legislative procedures, citing the use of a mechanism that eliminated 214 amendments and an alleged failure to convene designated committee meetings. The tribunal rejected his claims, finding that municipal commissions had reviewed the sale during several meetings in which Fedrighini participated, leaving his institutional role unhindered.

Construction timeline and demolition scale

Following the court decision, Inter Milan and AC Milan plan to submit their definitive architectural project and renderings between late October and early November 2026. Municipal and regional bodies will then initiate statutory evaluation phases before construction begins in mid-2027. The development includes commercial and hospitality facilities surrounding the stadium footprint, representing the primary private revenue component of the transaction. Demolition of the 100-year-old Meazza arena is scheduled to follow in a later phase, targeting completion before the Euro 2032 tournament. Dismantling the stadium structure will produce approximately 225,000 tonnes of debris, representing nearly 94,000 cubic metres of rubble.

Ongoing criminal investigation into the transaction

While administrative obstacles have cleared, the project remains subject to a criminal investigation by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors are investigating potential bid rigging and the unlawful disclosure of official secrets during the municipal sale process. Nine individuals are currently under investigation, including city officials, club executives, and project consultants. The list includes former city assessor Giancarlo Tancredi, municipal director general Cristian Malangone, Ada De Cesaris, Alessandro Antonello, and Giuseppe Bonomi. Investigators are assessing whether municipal resolutions and tender guidelines were tailored in advance to facilitate the private purchase by both clubs.