Today marks the 91st anniversary of the opening of San Siro, with Inter beating Milan 6-3 in the first match.
The idea to build a privately-owned stadium specifically for football was the brainchild of then-Rossoneri President Piero Pirelli.
Most stadiums in Italy which were publicly financed had running tracks around the pitch to make them multi-purpose, a feature seen at the Stadio Olimpico, the Stadio San Paolo and previously at the Stadio Delle Alpi, before it was turned into Juventus Stadium.
Today marks the 91st anniversary of the opening of San Siro, with Inter beating Milan 6-3 in the first match.
The idea to build a privately-owned stadium specifically for football was the brainchild of then-Rossoneri President Piero Pirelli.
Most stadiums in Italy which were publicly financed had running tracks around the pitch to make them multi-purpose, a feature seen at the Stadio Olimpico, the Stadio San Paolo and previously at the Stadio Delle Alpi, before it was turned into Juventus Stadium.
Construction of the new arena began in 1925, and the project was initially named Nuovo Stadio Calcistico San Siro, or ‘New San Siro Football Stadium’.
The first match saw Milan, who initially owned the stadium, lose 6-3 to Inter who at the time played at the Arena Civica, around an hour’s walk away in the city centre.
However, in 1947, with the stadium now owned by the council the Nerazzurri moved in and the two sides became co-tenants. Arena Civica still exists, and is the home ground of the city’s third team, Brera Calcio, who currently play in the sixth tier.
San Siro has hosted matches at the 1934 and 1990 World Cups, as well as Euro 1980, and the Azzurri haven’t lost in the stadium since it was officially opened.
Officially known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza since 1980, in recognition of the legendary striker who played for both Milan sides, fans all over the world continue to refer to the iconic stadium as San Siro.
It has hosted a number of concerts throughout the years, with performances from the likes of Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson.
Recent years have seen some doubt over the future of the stadium, which is badly in need of modernisation.
Milan had planned to move out in favour of a new stadium in the Portello area, after which Inter would have taken over the running of the old ground.
However, the Diavolo opted to stick with San Siro, though both clubs keep the option of building their own stadium on the table.
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza now is recognised as one of the most iconic stadiums in Europe, alongside Wembley, Camp Nou and the Bernabeu.