Why do AC Milan & Inter share San Siro stadium?

AC Milan and Inter have one of the fiercest rivalries in European football, both hailing from the city of Milan and two of the powerhouses in Serie A.

The fact that they share a stadium may be a surprise, with no room for a fierce away atmosphere like with El Clasico at Camp Nou and the Bernebeu or Anfield and Goodison Park for the Merseyside Derby.

GOAL has what you need to know about why the two Italian giants share a stadium, other club rivals who share venues, and more.

San Siro was actually first the stadium of AC Milan since its construction in 1926.

Inter were playing their fixtures at the nearby Arena Civica, its shape taking after a colosseum-inspired design. Since 1947, however, Inter and Milan started playing both their fixtures at the San Siro after both had a positive experience as shared tenants.

Today, the stadium is owned by the City of Milan, with both clubs continuing on as shared tenants.

In order to avoid schedule clashing, the two never host home matches on the same day.

There are currently plans to build a brand-new stadium named 'The Cathedral, which is to house roughly 60,000 seats instead of the 75,000 currently offered by the San Siro. This is due to steadily decreasing stadium attendances.

The stadium is to be surrounded by 22 acres of "green space" with an additional municipal park area - including an open-air gym, museum and running track - for citizens and visitors to enjoy.

AC Milan and Inter aren't the only two rival sides that share stadiums.

In fact, this is a pretty common phenomenon in Italy, with Lazio and Roma calling the Stadio Olimpico in Rome their home. The 72,698-capacity venue also hosts events such as the Coppa Italia final, the 1990 World Cup final and several European Cup/ Champions League finals.

The Stadio Olimpico opened its doors in 1937, and went under extensive renovation for Italia ’90.

The Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa is one of the oldest stadiums in football, opening its doors in 1911, and is the home of Italian sides Genoa and Sampdoria.

The stadium’s name is a nod to Italian footballer and engineer Luigi Ferraris, who fought and died in World War II.