Welcome to issue #007 of Contemporary Football, your inside look at how the game really works behind the scenes.
Monday to Friday, you’ll uncover a new perspective on football business, and sometimes a deeper story that sharpens your thinking and gives you an edge in the beautiful game.
If you need support on your football journey, just write me.
Hey everyone,
Milan and Inter are finally ready to build their new home.
But a stadium isn’t just where a club plays. It’s where a club earns.
The real question is: will the new San Siro be enough to put Milan and Inter back among the world’s top five clubs?
What does it mean for clubs?
In 2031, Milan and Inter will inaugurate the new San Siro.
You will have one more reason to visit Milan (besides Contemporary Football’s parties).
Tourists visiting Milan will go from the Duomo to La Scala... and end their tour in a stadium built not only for football, but also to generate cash flow.
Today, both clubs earn around €80 million per year thanks to the current San Siro.
With the new stadium, they expect to earn €180 million each.
An increase of almost 125%.
The goal is to repeat what Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Tottenham have done, turning their stadium into a daily business, not just a weekend hangout.
But it's not as easy as it sounds.
Numbers you must know
These are what you can expect from the new stadium:
Total capacity: 71,500
Ready by: 2031 (in time for Euro 2032)
Design: Manica + Foster + Partners
Naming rights: on sale by 2026
Estimated annual revenue per club:
Matchday: €130M
Naming + sponsors: €25M combined
Concerts & events: €10M per club
Museum visitors: 500k/year, €5M revenue
Parking + retail: €10M
Why it matters
Modern football clubs are now product companies.
And stadiums are an important part of their business because they combine branding, events, and entertainment.
A top stadium changes the club.
And Milan and Inter are lagging: Juventus did it in 2011.
But unlike Juve, they will build in a global city, share costs, and increase revenues well beyond match tickets.
Stadium as a Platform (SaaP)
Building a stadium is the easy part. (Well, that’s not true for Italy).
Turning it into a daily economic activity is the hard part.
If Milan and Inter really want this project to work, they will have to act less like clubs and more like operators.
How?
Relying on data, focusing on content, and concentrating on fan engagement 365 days a year.
The goal is not to build a stadium.
It is to build a platform.
One that finally puts Milan back at the center of global football.
Final Thoughts
Milan and Inter are about to start a new chapter.
But remember: in football, buildings don’t win games.
People do!
Good executives, good coaches, good players, good doctors,…all rowing in the same direction.
And keeping costs under control still matters more than anything.
Now say goodbye to the beautiful San Siro.
You still have a few years to watch a game in it.
Just don’t expect comfort.
But top-class atmosphere.
See you tomorrow,
Federico