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UEFA Champions League final 2027 to be moved after Milan's San Siro stripped as host, bidding process re-opens

Matt Jones

Published 24/09/2024 at 17:21 GMT

Concerns over the future of San Siro mean it will not host the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League final. The governing body has stripped the stadium of the rights to stage the game, as its future remains up in the air. UEFA are worried "the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishments" and have re-opened the bidding process.

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UEFA are on the lookout for a new host venue for the 2026/27 Champions League final.
That is after the governing body decided to strip San Siro, also known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, of the right to stage the game.
The Milan stadium was originally awarded the match in May of this year. But UEFA has concerns that construction work around the famous ground may impact on its ability to host the fixture.
"As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishments, it was today decided to re-open the bidding process for the 2027 #UCL final," UEFA said in a statement on X, which has since been deleted.
"A decision on the new host is expected to be made in May/June 2025."
It would have been the first time San Siro had played host to the Champions League final since 2016, when Real Madrid beat bitter rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties.
That is the only time the show-piece game has taken place in Italy over the last 15 years.
The European Cup final also took place at San Siro in 1965, when home favourites Inter Milan won 1-0 against Benfica, while Feyenoord and Bayern Munich have also lifted the famous trophy there, in 1970 and 2001, respectively.
However, the future of the stadium, which first opened in 1926, has been up in the air for some time.
Joint-tenants AC Milan and Inter Milan have both rejected renovation proposals in recent years.
The latter are believed to be in favour of building a completely new venue on the same site, whereas their fierce rivals have earmarked a plot in the suburb of San Donato as a potential area for a stadium.
San Siro will remain until at least 2026, though, as it is being used for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games.
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