Revealed – Why Mariani Appointed Referee For Crunch Juventus Vs Inter Milan Serie A Clash | OneFootball

Maurizio Mariani will referee the Derby d’Italia between Juventus and Inter Milan partly due to a lack of other options.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInter1908. They also suggest that Davide Massa being on the match between Lazio and Napoli shows the equal standing of the two fixtures.

Matches between the Bianconeri and the Nerazzurri are rarely easy ones for referees. Controversy is never far away.

Therefore, the question of which referee will be assigned to the fixture is always a big one.

And this time around, Serie A referee-designator Gianluca Rocchi did not have a glut of options.

Why Maurizio Mariani Put In Charge Of Juventus Vs Inter Milan Clash

As the Corriere note, Marco Guida is not available to referee Sunday’s match. He is on the sidelines with an injury.

Then, Andrea Colombo is in Colombia for the Under-20 South American championships.

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And while Simone Sozza would have seemed an ideal candidate, he has not had a good season.

Therefore, the Corriere suggests, Maurizio Mariani emerged as the most natural candidate to take charge of Sunday’s fixture – even if not an ideal one.

Meanwhile, the main alternative would have been Davide Massa.

However, Massa will instead be in charge of Saturday’s clash between Lazio and Napoli.

The Corriere argue that that partly reflects the fact that that match has just much at stake – and as much potential for controversy – as Sunday’s Derby d’Italia.