Photos

Image took just outside the first ring of San Siro after the end of the rugby test-match between Italia and New Zealand.

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The stadium construction started in 1925 in the district of Milan named San Siro.
Originally called "Nuovo Stadio Calcistico San Siro" (San Siro New Football Stadium), it was eventually renamed "Stadio Giuseppe Meazza" in 1980, in honour of Giuseppe Meazza an old player of Inter.

The idea to build a stadium in the same district as the horse racing track, belongs to the man who then was the president of AC Milan, Piero Pirelli.
The architects designed a private stadium only for football, without the athletics tracks which characterized the Italian stadia built with public funds.

The inauguration was on September 19, 1926, when 35,000 spectators saw Internazionale defeating Milan 6-3.
Originally, the ground was home and property of AC Milan. In 1947 Internazionale became tenants and the two have shared the ground ever since.

As well as being used by Milan and Inter, the Italian national side also plays 52 games there (and never lost matches) and it has also been used for the 2001, 1970 and 1965 UEFA Champions League finals.
San Siro hosted World Cup in the 1938 and 1990 for a total of 9 matches; it hosted Euro Cup matches in the 1980.
The stadium was also used for Internazionale's UEFA Cup finals when played over home and away legs but has never featured since the competition changed to a single final structure in 1997–98.

The stadium underwent further renovations for the 1990 World Cup with $60 million being spent, bringing the stadium up to UEFA 5-star standard. As part of the renovations, the stadium became all seated, with an extra tier being added to three sides of the stadium. This entailed the building of 11 concrete towers around the outside of the stadium. Four of these concrete towers located at the corner to support a new roof which has distinctive protruding red girders.

Renovations:

1939 End stands enlarged and corners filled in. A crowd of 55,000 for Italy - England 2-2.

1940 65,000 for Italy vs. Germany.

1955 Completion of two tiers giving a claimed capacity of 130,000.

1956 April 25, in front of 130,000 spectators, Italy - Brazil 3-0 (Goals: Virgili 2, De Sordi).
After the Heysel Stadium disaster, the capacity was reduced to 80,000 in the mid 1980s.

1987, as a preparations for the 1990 World Cup the Italian government gave the Milanese council $30 million for its modernization, but in the end, the cost was more than double that. Project 1990 by Ragazzi e Hoffner e Salvi: 11 concrete towers of 50 meters in height. Of the 11 towers, 4 at each corner, protruded above the 3rd tier as support for the new roof.

1990 Third tier completed on three sides giving an all seated capacity of 85,700.

2002 Sky Box: 20 for 200 seats. 400 all-seats for journalists.
Total capacity today 80.018

Length: 105 metres
Width: 68 metres
Surface: Grass

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Model: NIKON D5000
Software: Ver.1.00
Exposure Time: 10/250 sec
F-Stop: f/3.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 1600
Focal Length: 18 mm
Date Taken: 2009-11-14 16:56
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode
File Size: 263 kb