LAUSANNE, March 9, 2022 - With the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing reaching their pinnacle in these final days of competitions, CONI - the Italian National Olympic Committee - works continue, looking to the next Olympic Games that will be held in Italy in four years, in 2026, and officially confirmed to host the inaugural ceremony of the 25th Winter Olympic Games in the San Siro Stadium on February 6, 2026.

SAN SIRO FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY The Italian National Committee, after their regular meetings in Rome - where the CONI headquarters are located - reunited today in Milan, holding in the morning an extraordinary National Council at the Allianz Tower, in Milan, at the 2026 Milano Cortina Foundation headquarters. During this extraordinary meeting - as previously stated - the National Olympic Committee officially confirmed to host the inaugural ceremony in the San Siro Stadium on February 6, 2026.

Named after the Milanese district in which it is located, it is considered one of the symbols par excellence of the city of Milan, as well as one of the most famous sports facilities in the world. The implant, with more than 75 thousand seats, is the home of national and international matches of AC Milan and Inter Milan, alongside international matches of the Italian National Team. The stadium, the largest in the country, is also the scene of great concerts and international events, such as the upcoming inaugural ceremony.

It has been chosen, therefore, to focus on a pre-existing system, rather than on a completely new implant for the inaugural ceremony. 

A LOT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR "In order to have a new stadium between appeals to Tar and possible referendums, there is no technical time right now to build a new implant worthy of the opening ceremony. It will remain a very worthy facility.” As stated by Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan, today on the sidelines of the press conference organized at the Milanese stadium. Discussions between AC Milan, Inter Milan and the municipal council are occurring at the moment, in order to plan the construction of a new stadium for both of the teams. In the meantime, the organization works for the next Olympic Games continue, with San Siro as a key centre for the event. 

Giuseppe Sala kept talking about the infrastructural works that are occurring for the next Olympic Games: “In recent years a lot has been done, both in the management of our plants, both in the management of private plants and in agreements. A lot has been done also by universities, the Polytechnic has taken on an important responsibility, Bocconi has made its centre, there is a lot of attention. Public opinion every time we talk about sport is radically positive. It is the right time to do even more but there has been a very significant change of pace in recent years ".

NO CRAZY EXPENSES CONI President Giovanni Malagò intervened for the occasion, regarding all the Milan-Cortina sites. “In the next few hours the project for the Arena di Milano Santa Giulia will be presented, an implant that will host the men's ice hockey tournament, an arena on which an appeal to the Tar is pending. We are currently dealing with some delays, but I remain confident. Talking about the long track speed skating, our dossier has always been expected to take place in Baselga di Pinè. I will defend the choice to the end, but it is clear that also thinking in terms of Olympic legacy, we will not be able to incur crazy expenses .”