Travel Guide for Inter and the San Siro

Below you will find your perfect guide for going to Italy to watch Inter Milan at the San Siro!

Headlines from the travel guide:

• San Siro
• Matchday at the San Siro
• Inter club history
• Book a trip to the San Siro

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San Siro

San Siro Stadium History

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza name was originally Stadiometer di San Siro, so named after the district in which the venue is located.

Originally San Siro was Milan’s property and home. The city of Milan bought the venue in 1939 and after World War II, both Milan and Inter played here.

An attendance record of 125,000 spectators was set on April 25, 1952 when Italy defeated Brazil 3-0.

In honour of one of Italy’s greatest ever players the arena was named the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in 1980. During his illustrious career that spanned 20 years, Giuseppe Meazza played for both Inter and Milan. During his debut season in Serie A, he scored 31 goals – a record that no newcomer has managed to surpass. Giuseppe Meazza also won two World Cups with Italy.

The stadium was last upgraded ahead of the 1990 World Cup. The tournament’s opening match was played here in which the reigning world champions Argentina sensationally lost out to the odd goal against Cameroon.

On their way to World Cup glory West Germany played their first five games at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. The only team that managed to pinch a point from them was Colombia.

The stadium has hosted the European Cup/ Champions League Final four times, in 1965, 1970, 2001 and 2016. At the first of these there was a home win: Inter defeated Benfica 1-0.

The most recent final – a Madrid derby between Real and Atlético – was decided on penalties after the match ended 1-1. Ronaldo hit the final nail in Atlético’s coffin as Real won the shoot-out 5-3.

SAN SIRO DIRECTIONS

Subway:
Line 5 (red) to San Siro Stadio

Bus:
Bus 49 from Piazza Tirana towards Piazzale Lotto, stop Piazza Axum

Tram:
Tram 16 from Piazza Fontana

MILAN BARS

Try out an ‘aperitif’ at one of Milan’s many bars. You can enjoy a drink and delicious snacks, served between 19.00 and 21.00.

Or maybe a pizza would taste good? Near to the Piazza Firenze is Barbagia (Via Ruggera di Lauria, 18). And for those who want to sample a little more quality Italian cuisine are urged to try Collina Pistoiese (Via Amedei 1).

For those who yearn for the English pub, salvation is here: Il Football English Pub (Via Valpetrossa 5) – is good for both football, whiskey and beer.

SAN SIRO STADIUM TOUR

Walk in the footsteps of legends on the San Siro tour. Pass through the changing rooms of both host clubs, the tunnel entrances to the pitch, and enjoy a view of the stadium from the stands.

Visit the San Siro Museum, which tells the great story of Inter and AC through memorabilia, trophies, shirts and more . The entrance is at Gate 8.

Daily: 9.30- 19.00
Opening hours can vary on matchdays
For info and booking: +39 02 404 2432 and tour@sansirostadium.com
Entry (including. museum, 2023 prices):
€30,00 adults
€23,00 children and Senior Citizens

INTER STORES OPENING TIMES

San Siro Store
(Entrance 14, on match days entrance 15)
The shop area is shared between Milan and Inter, but on matchdays the home team takes over.
Open daily: 09.45 – 18.30
Opening hours can vary on matchdays.

INTER TRAINING GROUND

Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti is located on the outskirts of the village of Appiano Gentile in the province of Como, about 40 km northwest of Milan. The closest neighbour is the Golf Club La Pinetina.

Take the highway Milano-Como and come off at Lomazzo. Drive through the village of Guanzate and turn left at the first roundabout in Appiano Gentile. Turn right at the next roundabout and follow the signs to Golf Club La Pinetina.

The facility was built for the 1961 season when Angelo Moratti was the club president and Helenio Herrera coach.

INTER CLUB HISTORY

The story of Football Club Inter Milan Nazionale, better known as Inter, began through a breakaway from the Milan Cricket and Football Club (now AC Milan). The rebels wanted a more open attitude towards foreign players. The club name, which was established at the outset at the Restaurant Orologio on March 9, 1908, was a clear demonstration as the club’s colors were black, blue and gold.

Hornets Manktl, Inter’s first captain, was Swiss. He was succeeded by Virgilio Fossati who led Inter to the club’s first national title in 1910. Fossati died in the First World War a few years later.

In 1920 Inter won their second Scudetto at the end of a tumultuous decade for the club. The 17-year-old Giuseppe Meazza scored two goals in his debut match on September 25, 1927. He scored no less than 38 goals the following season while still a teenager.

Events off the field were dramatic too. The club name were not appreciated by the Italian Fascists and in 1928 Inter were forced to join forces with the Milanese Unione Sportiva under the name Ambrosiana SS Milano.

Four Inter World Cup winners

The club continued its tradition of winning titles every ten years. Giuseppe Meazza scored all three goals in the decisive match against Genoa, one of these after dribbling past five opponents.

Supporters defiantly shouted “Forza Inter” from the stands and forced the club into a concession into 1931: the name was changed to Ambrosiana-Inter. The club’s white shirts with a red cross were designed like Milan’s flag.

Four of the Italian national side that won the 1934 World Cup at home were players from the club: Meazza, Allemandi, Castellazzi and Demaria. And when, four years later, Italy defended the World Cup again there were four blue-black (though at that time white-red …) players. Naturally there was Giuseppe Meazza, this time with Ferrari, Locatelli and Ferraris.

The club’s players enjoyed great success nationally too: the league championship in 1938, the first cup win in 1939 and yet another Scudetto in 1940.

When the Italians did away with the fascists in 1945 Inter could at last officially use their name and blue-black shirts.

Catenaccio

The club enjoyed more success in the early fifties. Much of the credit went to Hungarian Istvan Nyers and Swedish Lennart “Nacka” Skoglund. Inter won the league in 1953 and repeated the feat the following year. Nyers scored a hat trick in the home derby with Milan, Nacka the provider for two of them, and in the Spring against Juventus Inter won 6-0 with two goals from Nacka.

Two Argentines who created football history arrived a few years later. First came Antonio Valentín Angelillo from Boca Juniors. In the 1958/59 season he was Serie A’s top scorer with 33 goals in as many matches.

The sixties began with his compatriot Helenio Herrera taking over as coach. His version of “Catenaccio” – four closely marking defenders plus a sweeper who took care of what balls slip through – took the club to new heights.

During the golden years Inter won the league for three consecutive years (1964 – 1966). Inter had now won ten titles and had earned the right to wear the gold star on their shirts.

Inter win two European Cups

But success also continued on the European stage. Inter won the 1964 European Cup when they beat Real Madrid in Vienna 3-1 after two goals by Sandro Mazzola. The following year they defeated Benfica at home in the San Siro 1-0.

They also won the Inter Inter-Continental Cup in these two years, both times against Argentina’s Independiente. At that time this cup was decided over two legs. In the first tussle both teams won their home games, and Mario Corso scored the decisive goal in extra time in the play-off match in Madrid.

When the teams met again in 1965 Inter won the home game 3-0 after two goals by Sandro Mazzola while the match in Argentina ended goalless, and it is worth noting that in these five matches against the champions from South America they only conceded one goal …
and once again gave Inter made a valuable contribution to the successful Italian national team.

When Italy won the European Championships in 1968, there were five Inter players: Burgnich, Domenghini, Facchetti, Guarneri and, of course, Mazzola.

The following decades were not as successful, with just a couple of league and cup titles brought home. However, Inter were well represented in the national team that won the World Cup in 1982: Altobelli, Bergomi, Bordon, Marini and Oriali.

Roberto Mancini at Inter

In 1988/89 the club won Serie A after having amassed a then record of 58 points. The nineties was Inter’s decade of UEFA Cup triumph. They defeated Roma in the 1991 final and three years later they won with two single goal victories against Salzburg.

There was a third title after another purely Italian clash – in Paris in 1998, Lazio were convincingly beaten 3-0, with Ronaldo beating Lazio keeper Marchegiani for the third goal.

When Roberto Mancini took the helm they secured more titles: the Coppa Italia in 2005 and 2006 and the Scudetto in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The third consecutive league victory was secured in the last match against Parma by two goals of a new Swedish Inter hero: Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

IJose Mourinho led the blue-black forces in the 2008/9 season. The success continued and for the first time since the fifties the Serie A’s top scorer was Swedish – Ibrahimovic with 25 goals.

Jose Mourinho wins Champions League with Inter

Mourinho’s triumphal period carried on and in 2010 Inter were the first Italian club to win a treble: the league, cup, and the much anticipated Champions League title.

And just like in the sixties the Argentine presence was clear. Diego Milito’s goal gave Inter victory 2-0 in the final against Bayern Munich. His compatriots Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso and especially the master Javier Zanetti led the way in a succession of tactically perfect matches.

That Zanetti was playing in his 700th match in the blue-black shirt to lift the Champions League trophy against Madrid’s night-sky was a worthy ending to a memorable season.

The triple was followed later in 2010 up by winning the FIFA Club World Championship, Europe’s fourth straight title. And when the club won the Coppa Italia in 2011 it was the seventh consecutive year that Inter had won at least one national title – an all-time club record.

Former Milan player Leonardo led Inter to the cup. The coaches who have followed struggled but in 2019 Antonio Conte arrived. They finished runners-up in the league in 2020, the same year they reached the Europa League final but came up short against Seville in the final. However in 2021 Inter ended Juve’s epic run of nine titles by winning the Scudetto for a 19th time.

INTER FACTS

Inter are the only Italian club that have never been relegated from the top division.

The season’s highlights for all Inter fans are games against Milan (Derby della Madonnina) and Juventus (Derby d’Italia) – the Derby della Madonnina is named after the statue at the top of the spire of Milan’s Cathedral.

Milan have won more matches in the statistics for all derby matches against Inter.

Giuseppe Bergomi has played the most games for the Nerazzurri (758) and Giuseppe Meazza holds the record for most goals for the black and blue (288).

In an interview Inter’s president Massimo Moratti mentioned three players who have meant something special for Inter: Nacka Skoglund, Antonio Valentín Angelillo and Ronaldo. Of Nacka, he said: “Skoglund was a player who possessed tremendous qualities in his time, he was the one who did not always follow the tactics but went for the unexpected.”

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