Inter Milan’s ‘favourite’ referee appointed for Lecce vs Juventus | OneFootball

The AIA have decided to entrust Andrea Colombo with the Serie A contest between Lecce and Juventus on Saturday.

The 35-year-old was one of the names that surfaced in the refereeing scandal that rocked Italian football last week.

Serie A referee designator Gianluca Rocchi, who is the poster child of the investigation, was forced to suspend himself as he deals with charges of sporting fraud.

The controversial figure is suspected of establishing illegal contacts with certain clubs, including Inter, and making refereeing appointments based on their preferences.

Andrea Colombo will be the referee for Lecce vs Juventus

As Tuttosport reports, Colombo emerged as one of the profiles ‘welcomed’ by the Nerazzurri. Rocchi put him in charge of Inter’s clash against Bologna at the Renato Dall’Ara in April 2025. Although Simone Inzaghi’s men ended up losing the game, the appointment itself remains under investigation.

The Turin-based newspaper also recalls another unsavoury incident involving Colombo in the earlier years of his career.

The Como native was in charge of a Primavera game between Chievo Verona and Milan, and he allegedly insulted several Rossoneri players, including Daniel Maldini, telling him he’s an even worse player than his brother (the now-retired Christian).

The referee’s shocking behaviour infuriated the legendary Paolo Maldini, who was on the sidelines, sparking a heated argument between the two men.

Two negative Juventus precedents with Colombo

Interestingly, Juventus have also had an unpleasant episode involving Colombo earlier this season, when he didn’t spot Mario Gila’s foul on Francisco Conceicao inside the box, even though the Lazio defender’s nervous facial expression suggested the penalty should have been awarded. The capital side went on to win 1-0.

The 35-year-old was also in charge when Sassuolo beat Juventus 4-2 at the Mapei Stadium in September 2023. The outcome would have changed had the match official shownd Domenico Berardi a deserved red card for his nasty challenge on Gleison Bremer.