AC Milan Stadium Plans Represent a Step in the Right Direction

AC Milan has been in a state of upheaval the last two seasons. Lack of investment from owner Silvio Berlusconi and bad decisions in the transfer window by Adriano Galliani have led to some ugly results on the field. The team has had three managers in two seasons and is in serious danger of missing out on European competition—and its prize money—for a second straight year.

In the last week, however, a small light has emerged from the gloom.

Milan announced plans for a new stadium. The team has called the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza—better known as the San Siro—its home since 1926. That fact itself is a part of the venerable ground's problem. Although extensively renovated over the years, the stadium is still an antique. Crowd control can also be a problem and the field conditions can be less than ideal.

The biggest problem, though, is its unwieldy size. The San Siro currently holds 80,018. That's a massive number. It's been hard for both Milan and Inter to fill the place, especially given the economic issues gripping Italy, giving ordinary fans less disposable income to spend on things like soccer tickets.

Three seasons ago, Juventus opened their new stadium. Standing on the site of the old Stadio delle Alpi (a dismal failure of a ground built for the 1990 World Cup), the palatial Juventus Stadium is the first club-owned ground in Italy.

The ability to reap match-day revenues and not pay municipal rent has been a boon for the Bianconeri. The complex also contains a team museum, and the club is developing the surrounding Continassa district, promising even more additional revenue for the team.

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The stadium is also more than 27,000 seats smaller than its predecessor. The smaller stadium will likely never host a Champions League final—UEFA's unofficial policy is to hold the showpiece in stadiums with a capacity closer to 70,000—but the team has been able to fill the stadium to near capacity almost every match day.

Milan's plan—which was elaborated on by the club at a press conference on Wednesday—is for a slightly larger but still relatively small stadium with a capacity of 48,000.

Like the Juventus Stadium and the slightly larger arena Roma is in the final stages of planning, the seats will be closer to the field in the style of the newer, more modern stadia in England and Germany. There will also be public transportation links, restaurants, a soccer academy, a hotel and art exhibition spaces.

The stadium is also going to be eco-friendly. According to Football Italia, its design will incorporate a process to recycle rainwater for use in restrooms and will be powered partially through solar panels. Plans also call for the use of new sound-proofing technology to reduce noise pollution in the neighborhood.

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The first major hurdle in the process of making the design a reality comes in March, when the decision on whether or not they will purchase the land for their chosen location in the Portello district will be made. If they do acquire the plot, local approvals must follow.

The brainchild of Barbara Berlusconi, the publication of concrete plans for this new stadium is a major step in the right direction. It's the first glimmer of a concrete plan for a team that has looked lost in the wilderness over the last two years. If the team can build it, it will be a key part of restoring the Rossoneri to their former glory.