How building Yankee Stadium for AC Milan would change Serie A
It would be a game changer but we know how Italian life works...
In a recent interview, AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale discussed his vision for building a new home for the Rossoneri. Both Inter and Milan are looking to extricate themselves from the historic San Siro in light of the lack of investment in upgrades. The American owner, thinking like an American, is envisioning the day when his club, poised to join the historic treble club, will play in a world-class fancy new stadium.
The problem is that anyone who knows Italy knows new stadiums don't happen. Like ever, unless there's a World Cup coming. In all seriousness, like in so much of Italian life, red tape and delays are slowing down any consideration of new buildings, much less a stadium when the city owns the current one. So this dream may be long in being realized.
What Cardinale said that was interesting was his comparison point. He brought up the New York (baseball) Yankees' multi-prong strategy based on a new stadium. Much like Milan, the Yankees are steeped in history (although the Yankees are more of a Juventus, but that's another discussion). In 2008 the Yankees tore down one of sport's most iconic venues and replaced it with a more modern version, to some controversy. Other baseball clubs like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs revamped an existing stadium but the Yankees' decided to rebuild instead.
Last year I went to a game at Yankee Stadium, and my experience showed me why Cardinale would want to emulate the Yankees versus other clubs (including NFL ones with fancier stadiums). If such a vision could be realized, it would reimagine the fan experience in Serie A and could change calcio for the better.
What Yankee Stadium does well that Milan could emulate:
Modern atmosphere with hat tips to the past. I expected sitting in the game a lot of traditional music and baseball cues that would be in place in 1950. Instead, the atmosphere was more like an NBA game. Prior to first pitch a DJ spun records and music pumped throughout the stadium, not sports jams but club music. The vibe was less getting ready for a game and more getting ready for an experience. For fans, it was enjoyable being on the concourse and in the seat. In soccer, such an experience would be very different but introduce a new environment. Instead of relying on the fans to provide entertainment, the team would do it. How the ultras and chanting would interact would be hard to envision, but might need to find a way to coexist.
History is present but not overwhelming. Yankee Stadium has Monument Park in center field which you can visit before the game and see Yankee history, as well as a museum. The architecture reminds a visitor of old Yankee Stadium and other historic New York stadiums. Yet during the game and on the field there is little that is not modern. The scoreboard has modern graphics and throughout the playing field are touches in place with other stadiums. Imagine an AC Milan museum and a concourse dedicated to their greats. Something like this would be unique and really highlight to visitors why Milan is special.
Money is made on tickets. The most surprising thing to me was how reasonable costs were in the stadium. Merch was high, but not the highest I have seen in baseball stadiums. Food and beverage were in line with other stadiums and there were even food options that were perfect for family sharing at a price that would actually be a savings. Where the stadium makes a lot of money is tickets. Upper upper-deck prices are the same as some stadiums' lower-level tickets. Corporate boxes are of course quite high. For fans, this means that once you get in a game is an affordable experience. Getting in, however, is the key. Such a change in Italy would align it more with the Premier League, with local fans being priced out in favor of tourists and businesses. The food and beverage savings would also encourage people to eat and drink in the stadium instead of outside, another change that would be radical in the game and line the clubs' pockets.
What would a Yankee Stadium-Style San Siro look like? A palace to AC Milan with all of the modern amenities but enough history to bring in and make tourists feel knowledgeable. The match experience would be vastly different, team-controlled and updated. Revenue would be greater allowing Milan to grow its finances even more. The experience would be more like one at a Spurs or West Ham match, but the added historic elements and nod to history would make it a museum within a sports experience.
Carinale's vision is more than just a prettier stadium. It is about creating a brand within a brand that would print euros and, if it spread, would upend how fans experience a match in many ways for worse than for good.
By Wikipedia user IronGargoyle
How was the Yankee stadium rebuild financed? I imagine the half billion dollar cost was shared private:public funds? Is that realistic for Italy/ Milan though??