UEFA strips San Siro of hosting 2026/27 Champions League Final
UEFA has decided to reopen the bidding process for hosting the 2027 men’s Champions League final, following the event being moved from the iconic San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy.
The governing body of European football has returned to the planning stage after authorities in Milan, Italy, were unable to provide assurances that the refurbishment work at San Siro stadium and its surrounding area would not impact the match, as reported by the Mirror.
In May, the football body had postponed the decision on the 2027 final host, contingent upon receiving the necessary guarantees regarding the refurbishment at San Siro.
Now, a decision on a new host is anticipated in May or June of next year.
“As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, 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,” UEFA said in a statement.
Agreement has also been reached over UEFA’s solidarity funding, with Premier League clubs outside of European competition receiving a smaller slice over the next three seasons than under the previous agreement.
The last time the San Siro hosted the Champions League final was in 2016 when Spanish giants Real Madrid edged city rivals Atletico in a penalty shootout.
It also hosted the final in 2001 between Bayern Munich and Valencia which the Germans won via penalties.