UEFA will reopen the bidding for the 2027 men’s Champions League final after the match was taken away from Milan’s San Siro.
European football’s governing body will restart the process after authorities in the Italian city could not guarantee that the refurbishment of AC and Inter Milan’s home and surrounding areas wouldn’t impact the match.
The San Siro is one of the most iconic stadiums in world football
As a result a decision on a new host is now expected in May or June next year, UEFA have confirmed.
The San Siro is one of the most iconic venues in world football and has played host to some of the sport’s biggest games during its 99-year history.
However the 80,000 stadium will undergo a major refurbishment to bring the venue in line with sport’s more modern stadiums.
The refurbishment has been met with approval from fans of both AC Milan and Inter Milan with the two rivals famously sharing the stadium.
The planned work is part of the preparation for Euro 2032 which is set to be held in Italy.
The two clubs have shared the ground since 1947 when Inter became tenants at the stadium which had been built by AC Milan president at the time, Pierro Pirelli.
It now belongs to the Municipality of Milan, who have owned it since 1935.
A statement regarding the Champions League final confirmed: “Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works.”
It means that Wembley could be in consideration to host the Champions League final again, following their successful staging of the 2024 event between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Uefa bosses also confirmed that an agreement has been reached over UEFA’s solidarity funding.
The San Siro will no longer host the 2027 Champions League final
Wembley famously hosted the 2024 Champions League finalGetty
As part of the deal, the Premier League – along with La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga – will only receive £8.3million in ‘solidarity’ clash for the clubs not competing in European competitions each season.
This will be worth around £640,000 to each of the 13 Premier League outfits who don’t qualify for Europe.
The remaining 50 smaller leagues will share £215million with Uefa believing the new split will ‘support the competitive balance across Europe’.
Clubs must fulfill certain licensing conditions, including around the training of youth players, to be eligible to receive funding.
