Sarà another stadium, and not the ‘Meazza’, to host the 2027 Champions League final

Despite the provisional designation by Uefa in recent months, it will not be ‘Giuseppe Meazza’ stadium in Milan to host the 2026/2027 Champions League final. In an official note, in fact, the European confederation explained the reasons behind the decision to reopen the allocation procedure.

“Sinceé the Municipality of Milan cannot guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings will not be affected by renovation works during the period of the 2027 Champions League final, è it has been decided not to award the final to Milan and to reopen the bidding procedure to designate a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025” reads the statement published by Uefa after the Executive Committee meeting held just Tuesday in Prague.

San Siro has hosted the Champions Cup/Champions League final four times: the first time in 1965, with Inter’s 1-0 victory over Benfica, then in 1970, with Feyenoord’s 2-1 win over Celtic, in 2001, with Bayern’s penalty shootout victory over Valencia (1-1 at 120′, 5-4 the penalty shootout tally), and finally in 2016, with Real Madrid’s triumph over the ‘cousins’ of Atletico, again on penalties (1-1 at 120′, 5-3 from 11 meters).

The next Champions League finals already designated will be held at Munich’s Allianz Arena at the end of this season (the first under the new 36-team single-round formula plus playoffs) and at Budapest’s Puskas Arena at the end of the 2025/2026 European year.

Giulio Pellizzari honors the memory of Michele Scarponi

In the course of the preparation for the Under 23 lunea test at the World Championships in Zurich, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27, one of the athletes who will wear the jersey of Italy, Giulio Pellizzari, decided to visit the monument dedicated to Michele Scarponi, in Canossa, paying tribute to the memory of the champion who died tragically in 2017.

“I decided to stop here to pay tribute to a landmark in my cycling career, as well as to a Marche man like me&#quot; said the 20-year-old rider who, outside the context of the national teams, rides for Bardiani-CSF Faizanè and who this season won the youth classification of the Tour of Slovenia.

“I hope the message about the importance of road safety continues to spread,” the young cyclist added, “and I take this opportunity to urge everyone to support the Michele Scarponi Foundation, which deals with exactly this. And I hope this gesture will bring me good luck for the online test in Zurich”.

Michele Scarponi, one of the most appreciated cyclists of his generation, won the 2011 Giro d’Italia after Alberto Contador&#39s disqualification decreed by the UCI and confirmed by TAS in Lausanne. His name è in the roll of honor of other major races as well, such as the Tirreno-Adriatico (won in 2009). He was Vincenzo Nibali’s domestique and was instrumental in helping him win the 2014 and 2016 editions of the Tour de France. He diedì from the consequences of a training accident in his Filottrano, on April 22, 2017.

The probable lineups

Postponed twenty-four hours from the original schedule due to the heavy rain that hit Bergamo on Monday evening and made the Gewiss Stadium impassable, Atalanta-Como will be rescheduled for Tuesday, the 24th, again at 8:45 p.m., with a lower probability of precipitation (and in any case with a lower intensity), according to reports from the Air Force Weather Center.

Gian Piero Gasperini and Cesc Fabregas have therefore had an extra night to think about the eleven to be sent out: for Atalanta, a variation in attack is possible compared to Monday’s probables, with De Ketelaere flanking Retegui and Lookman ready to take over in the second half. In defense, however, Kossounou should be confirmed from the 1′.

For the Larians, on the other hand, no second thoughts for the Catalan coach, who should confirm Cutrone up front, supported by Strefezza, Paz and Fadera, with Van der Brempt ready to play from the start in the four-man line of Como’s defense and Perrone next to Sergi Roberto in the middle.

Atalanta-Como, Tuesday&#39s probable lineups;

ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic; Retegui, De Ketelaere. All. Gasperini.

COMO (4-2-3-1): Audero; Van der Brempt, Dossena, Kempf, Moreno; Sergi Roberto, Perrone; Strefezza, Paz, Fadera; Cutrone. All. Fabregas.