MILAN, ITALY - Tuesday, March 10, 2008: FC Internazionale Milano's supporters during the UEFA Champions League First knockout Round 2nd Leg match against Liverpool at the San Siro. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Why Inter Milan don’t always call their stadium the San Siro

Wednesday night will bring the fourth time Liverpool have visited the famous San Siro in their history, but the stadium is not always known by that name for Inter Milan.

The San Siro is one of the most fabled venues in football, but despite their European pedigree, it is not one the Reds have played in frequently.

In fact, earlier this campaign, Liverpool played AC Milan at their home stadium for the first time ever, while the last 16 of the Champions League will pit them away to Inter for the third time – and the first since 2008.

Its name will be mentioned countless times in the buildup, with players, managers and fans alike holding it in high esteem.

But for Inter and their supporters, the San Siro is also known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

That stems back to 1980, when the stadium – shared by the two Milan clubs and soon to be demolished – was renamed in honour of Giuseppe Meazza, the legendary forward who made over 400 appearances for Inter, managed them twice and won two World Cups with Italy.

Meazza, widely considered one of the best players in Italy’s history, won three Serie A titles with Inter between 1929 and 1940, before making the switch to AC Milan for a brief stint.

After spells with Juventus, Varese and Atalanta, Meazza returned to Inter to take over as player-coach, making a further 17 appearances and steering them clear of relegation, before devoting himself as a full-time manager.

MILAN, ITALY - Tuesday, December 7, 2021: An exterior general view of the Stadio San Siro before the UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 6 game between AC Milan and Liverpool FC. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

He is one of Milan’s greatest exports, and the decision was made in 1980 to rename the San Siro to recognise his accomplishments.

That has served as a point of contention for AC Milan supporters ever since, and that is why the stadium is still known as the San Siro – as they refuse to acknowledge its official name.

For Inter, it remains the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but they will often refer to it as the San Siro regardless, due to its worldwide status under that guise.

Remember when there were rumours Liverpool and Everton could ground-share at the proposed Stanley Park Stadium?

It would have been like that being renamed the Peter Beardsley Stadium…sort of.