European soccer’s governing body UEFA will open a new bidding process to find a host for the 2027 Champions League (UCL) final after confirming that game cannot be staged at Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium.

The 80,000-seat venue, home of Inter Milan and AC Milan, was originally provisionally awarded hosting rights for the final of European soccer’s elite club competition, with UEFA seeking more information on refurbishment plans.

The continental body, however, has ultimately taken the decision not to assign the final to San Siro, explaining yesterday (September 24) that "the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final.”

UEFA expects to appoint a new host in May or June, 2025.

It was initially reported last month that San Siro was set to miss out on hosting the 2027 UCL final due to potential refurbishment of the stadium.

While Inter and AC Milan have both been working on separate stadium projects, Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala is keen to keep the clubs at San Siro and believes they can be persuaded through a plan to renovate the ground.

The ownership of the stadium would also eventually pass on to the two clubs.

The Italian soccer federation (FIGC) had also written to the Milan council to ask for a guarantee that there will not be any construction work in progress at the stadium in May 2027 but did not expect a positive answer. Such a guarantee would have seen the renovation of San Siro delayed for another three years.

San Siro had been vying to host the UCL final for the third time having already staged the showpiece match in 2001 and 2016.

Budapest has already been confirmed as the host city for the first time in 2026, while the final of this season’s competition will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich.