The sale of Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium to football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan is currently under investigation for alleged bid rigging. Italian financial police have conducted searches at Milan City Hall and the company jointly owned by the two clubs that manages the stadium, targeting nine individuals linked to the transaction.
Among those under scrutiny are former Inter CEO Alessandro Antonello, representatives from both football clubs, and Christian Malangone, the city of Milan’s general manager, who is known as a close associate of Mayor Giuseppe Sala. The probe focuses on the approval process of the €197 million ($227 million) sale of 28 hectares (70 acres) of public land where the San Siro is located, finalized in late September.
Inter and AC Milan intend to demolish the existing stadium to construct a new 70,000-seat arena on adjacent land to the west. However, city council officials are accused of prioritizing private interests over public welfare by exploiting legislation meant to streamline stadium construction, allegedly benefiting specific construction firms.
This investigation follows a broader inquiry into corruption within Milan’s urban planning sector. Notably, Giancarlo Tancredi, a former urban planning councillor whose arrest last summer was overturned by Italy’s highest court in December, remains under investigation by Milan’s public prosecutor’s office.
