San Siro sale probe widens as Milan offices searched and nine investigated

Italy’s Guardia di Finanza searched offices linked to the Municipality of Milan and the San Siro stadium management company on March 31 as prosecutors investigate the controversial sale of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza to AC Milan and Inter Milan.Investigators are examining allegations of bid-rigging and the leaking of confidential information, with the inquiry focused on whether the transaction and related procedures improperly advantaged private interests.Nine people are reported to be under investigation, including former members of Milan’s executive and individuals linked to the clubs’ advisory work around the transaction.Those named in Italian media reports include Giancarlo Tancredi and Ada De Cesaris, both former members of the City of Milan executive, as well as Fabrizio Grena and Marta Spaini, consultants who worked with Inter and AC Milan respectively.Alessandro Antonello, Inter’s former corporate chief executive, has also been cited among those being investigated, alongside other figures connected to the process.Computers and mobile phones were seized during searches, with investigators also visiting the offices of the stadium operating entity jointly owned by the two clubs.The Prosecutor’s Office has argued the public notice for the sale was “essentially based on the characteristics favoured by the sports clubs”, according to local reporting.San Siro, which is owned by the city, was sold to the clubs for €197m as part of a deal that also included land around the stadium, creating a platform for a wider regeneration plan.The sale completed after an agreement in principle was reached in September, with the deed signed in November, following years of on-off attempts by both clubs to develop a new venue and take greater control of matchday and non-matchday revenues.AC Milan and Inter have positioned the project as a new-build stadium and district redevelopment that would modernise their infrastructure, boost premium hospitality and diversify year-round commercial income.The redevelopment has been described in reports as a €1.5bn programme, including demolition of the existing ground and construction of a new stadium.Design work has been led by Foster + Partners and Manica, with plans indicating a 71,500-capacity venue with a bowl configuration intended to improve sightlines and atmosphere.The Stadium Business reported the overall project cost at about €1.25bn, with the stadium element put at roughly €708m.The acquisition and early-stage planning have involved external financing support, with international banks and the clubs’ domestic banking partners referenced in previous disclosures around the transaction.Both clubs had previously explored separate stadium options outside the San Siro area, with AC Milan linked to San Donato Milanese and Inter linked to Rozzano, before returning to a joint plan centred on their historic home.The investigation adds legal and political uncertainty to one of European football’s most high-profile stadium schemes, with the timeline for demolition and delivery now facing an additional layer of procedural risk.