Italians on Italians
Beyond Toscano

One soccer arena; two names

The trouble with having two major soccer teams in the same city is that both have their own idea about what the city’s major sports stadium should be called.
Milan is home to both A.C.Milan and Inter Milan football teams. Both call the biggest stadium in the city their home-ground. Built in 1925 in the district of San Siro, the stadium was officially named ‘Nuovo Stadio Calcistico San Siro’ (San Siro New Soccer Stadium).
With the nickname ‘The Temple of Soccer’ San Siro is certainly where loyal soccer fans come to worship their heroes. But while they all agree on its importance, they don’t agree on its name.
In 1980, in honor of Giuseppe Meazza, Milan hero who helped Italy secure World Cup victory twice and died in 1979, the stadium was renamed the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. But while Giuseppe spent a couple of years playing for A.C.Milan, it was Inter Milan where he spent most of his career. As a result, Inter Milan fans honor the new stadium name, while fans of rivals A.C Milan stick to the stadium’s original name – San Siro, much to the annoyance of Inter supporters.