In Milan, an Iconic Stadium Isn’t Going Down Without a Fight

Credit...Camilla Ferrari for The New York TimesAs he watched the soccer game playing out on television, the Milanese writer and actor Gianfelice Facchetti felt an emotional tug that he thought might be leading him toward his next book.

It was during Italy’s first coronavirus lockdown, and Facchetti’s favorite team, Inter Milan, had been forced to play its matches behind closed doors. The decision left its longtime home, the 80,000-seat Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, more commonly known as the San Siro, devoid of atmosphere, and amid the silence Facchetti’s mind began to drift.

He thought back not only to fond memories and tense moments in the arena where his father, Giacinto, had represented Inter…