San Siro – Internazionale & AC Milan
Construction of the host to four Champions League finals (including this year’s edition) began in 1925 by the Rossoneri president, Piero Pirelli. On 19 September 1926, the sparkling new 35,000-seater stadium was primed and ready for its opening ceremony.
The sacrificial goats? None other than Inter Milan, the club which had caused such a bitter split almost two decades earlier in 1908. There would be no better way to prove their superiority than by trouncing Milan in their brand new stadium. However, that’s exactly what Inter did, running riot as they won 6-3 against their bitter rivals – albeit in a friendly!
In 1947, Inter Milan would become joint tenants of the San Siro. In honour of their symbolic union, the San Siro stadium was renamed the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, after the Italian legend who played for both clubs.
Meazza grew up a fan of AC Milan but was nurtured by Inter, who he left after 13 years to represent his boyhood club for two seasons. He would retire as the Internazionale player-coach after a single season. He also won 2 World Cups for Italy – easily making him the San Siro’s greatest son.
