AC Milan plans 20,000-seat arena in San Donato for potential NBA Europe franchise

AC Milan is moving forward with development plans for the land in San Donato Milanese, which was acquired for €40 million through the company Sportlifecity. While the site was initially earmarked for a new football stadium, the club later shifted its focus toward a joint project with Inter at the San Siro area.

Gerry Cardinale, head of the RedBird Capital fund, has confirmed that the San Donato site will not remain vacant. The current strategy involves constructing a 20,000-seat indoor arena as the centerpiece of a new commercial development. This facility is intended to host various events and concerts, but its primary ambition is to serve as the home for a franchise in the proposed NBA Europe league.

Cardinale emphasized his desire to establish a more active presence in Milan, expanding his interests beyond football into other sports, including basketball and tennis. The potential NBA team is not expected to be Olimpia Milano, which remains under the control of the Armani family. Instead, it would likely emerge through the acquisition or transformation of sporting rights from another historic Lombardy club, such as Varese Basket.