UEFA has announced that the 2027 Champions League final will be relocated from the San Siro in Milan due to uncertainties regarding potential renovations at the iconic stadium. The governing body of European football cited that the city of Milan could not guarantee that the venue and surrounding areas would remain unaffected by ongoing refurbishment works.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, UEFA confirmed, “It was decided not to assign the final to Milan and to re-open the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025.”
The decision comes after both AC Milan and Inter Milan, the clubs that share the San Siro, recently rejected a proposed project to modernize and restructure the stadium, which is owned by the city. Milan’s Mayor, Giuseppe Sala, noted that both clubs are prepared to revisit plans for a new stadium in the vicinity of the San Siro, a project that had previously stalled due to political and bureaucratic challenges.
Earlier this year, AC Milan acquired land in the suburb of San Donato Milanese, located southeast of Milan, as part of a strategy to move outside the city’s official boundaries to streamline building approval processes. Meanwhile, Inter Milan is exploring options in the towns of Rozzano and Assago, just south of Milan, and is considering building on former industrial land in the densely populated northern suburb of Sesto San Giovanni.
In a separate development, San Siro is set to host the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026, further complicating its availability for major events.
As the search for a new host city begins, officials from Marseille, France, have expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Champions League final. Sebastien Jibrayel, the deputy mayor of Marseille responsible for sports, stated, “And why not Marseille, in the most beautiful stadium in France: the Velodrome,” adding that both he and Mayor Benoit Payan would support the city’s candidacy.
France last hosted the Champions League final in 2022, where Liverpool faced Real Madrid at the Stade de France, an event marred by chaotic security arrangements outside the stadium.
As UEFA prepares to consider bids from various cities, the football world awaits the announcement of the new venue for what promises to be a thrilling finale in 2027.
