Alessandro Costacurta: ‘San Siro is an icon – it’s incredibly beautiful but it’s not functional’
Alessandro Costacurta said San Siro is "an icon" but "not functional" as the Milan stadium approaches its 100th birthday this weekend; the ground opened on 19 September 1926. He made the remarks while reflecting on the stadium’s character and its imminent replacement.
Costacurta recalled his first visit to San Siro at age 12, accompanying his brother to a Milan-Bologna match, leaving after 15 minutes because of heavy rain; he grew up in the province of Varese and was a Varese fan at the time. Recruited into Milan’s academy a year later, he went on to play 663 times for the first team, helping Milan win Serie A seven times and the European Cup five times. Only Paolo Maldini (902) and Franco Baresi (719) have made more appearances for the Rossoneri, and Costacurta spent much of his career alongside Maldini, Baresi and Mauro Tassotti.
Milan and Inter completed a joint purchase of San Siro and surrounding land from the city council at the end of 2025 and plan to begin construction of a new ground "early next year." Costacurta said: "San Siro is not a modern stadium... It’s an icon, it’s incredibly beautiful, but it’s not functional," citing a shortage of elevators, dated lounges and the stadium’s toilets, adding: "That’s the first thing I wanted to say!" The replacement has been designed by Foster + Partners and Manica and will include new retail and hospitality facilities; the new-stadium project was a central pillar of owners RedBird’s vision since their takeover in 2022 and is shared with Inter.
On the rivalry between the clubs, Costacurta said: "Milan is a particular thing," noting "It’s rare to breathe such friendly air when you go to different derbies around the world. There are chants of course, but also a lot of mixing between fans. And when I was playing, between players too." He described the greatest satisfaction as "conquering" another great team’s home stadium and recalled being the away side in a 6-0 win at Inter in May 2001, saying: "At 4-0 we could see their fans walking out."
Costacurta highlighted the steepness of San Siro’s stands as a defining feature: "The first time I was out beside the pitch... it made me almost afraid. It felt like all those people were going to fall on top of me." He compared San Siro to other grounds—"Maybe [Real Madrid’s Santiago] Bernabéu is a bit like that... But still, like San Siro? I don’t think so"—and recalled the first match after the final tier and roof were added, a 1-0 Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus, saying: "I remember there was more noise, but the main thing I remember is the pitch... they hadn't understood how to manage the airflow with the extra tier, and the pitch was really ugly. For a year and a half, our pitch was the worst in Europe." He noted Milan later went on a 58-game unbeaten run in Serie A from May 1991 through to March 1993 and added: "I think it was a disadvantage for visiting teams that came to San Siro" because of the pressure and "Roar!"
On-match communication and supporter behaviour also featured in his memories: "Nobody’s really talking on the pitch though," he said, adding that managers' touchline instructions "almost never gets there." He recalled standing sections and fans taunting him in Milanese dialect, who called him "pè de ghisa"—meaning iron foot—before he won them over, and remembered the "rubbish" chant turning into: "Billy! [his nickname] Billy! Vai! Vai! Vai!" Thousands waited outside San Siro on the day of his final game, and Milan and Inter have said some part of the old stadium will be preserved within the new development.
Costacurta said he has become an Arsenal fan over the years and pointed to their move from Highbury to the Emirates as an encouraging precedent: "I played there in the European Super Cup," he said. "Nil-nil. [Milan won 2-0 in the return leg at San Siro.]" The clubs intend the new venue to provide revenue streams to help them compete more strongly on the continental stage; construction is intended to be completed in 2031 and the new stadium is planned to be ready to host games at Euro 2032.