Picture this: you’re a commentator for the Champions League semi-finals in May 2023. In the first leg, you introduce the audience to the stadium of the home team, AC Milan. A week later, for the second leg — same two teams — you welcome them back to the same venue… but now as Inter Milan’s home ground. The twist? You call it by a completely different name.
Confused? Let’s unravel the story.
San Siro or Giuseppe Meazza?
The Champions League semi-final in question featured two fierce city rivals: AC Milan and Inter Milan. Despite the intense rivalry, both clubs have shared the same stadium since 1947. But here's where it gets interesting — they don’t call it the same thing.
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AC Milan and most of the footballing world refer to it as the San Siro.
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Inter Milan fans prefer its official name: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
So why the two names?
The stadium was originally built in 1926 by AC Milan and named after the San Siro district in the western part of Milan where it is located. This name has stuck with the club and much of the global football community.
In 1980, the stadium was renamed Stadio Giuseppe Meazza by city officials to honor Giuseppe Meazza, one of Italy’s greatest footballers — and a legend most closely associated with Inter Milan. Meazza played for both Milan clubs during his career but made his name primarily with Inter, where he won multiple league titles and later managed the team.
Because of this Inter connection, Inter fans proudly use the official name, while AC Milan fans continue to call it San Siro, both out of tradition and rivalry.
So it’s not just about location — it’s a matter of identity.
More Than Just a Name
This stadium has seen more than just naming disputes — it has hosted some of the fiercest battles in football.
In the 1990s, the AC Milan vs. Inter rivalry took on a distinctly international flavor. Inter was loaded with German stars like Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann, and Andreas Brehme, while AC Milan countered with a Dutch trio: Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard.
The tension between the two mirrored the fierce national rivalry between Germany and the Netherlands — and fittingly, when those two countries faced off in the 1990 World Cup, the match was held at none other than the San Siro.
Today, season after season, both teams continue to battle it out in this iconic arena — one stadium, two names, and endless drama.
Check out the story of how Inter Milan were created out AC MIlan check out our post How Inter MIlan was born from AC Milan.