Maurizio Mariani will referee Milan’s trip to Juventus on Sunday, one of the most experienced officials in the league taking charge of the Rossoneri’s toughest fixture so far this season.
Milan travel to Turin on the back of wins over Torino and Venezia, and Ruben Amorim has framed the game as a serious measure of where his side stands, even while playing down the big-match tag. The referee appointment adds another layer for supporters already looking for edges heading into a difficult away day.
Mariani was confirmed for the fixture by the AIA a few days ago. He has a lengthy history with Milan, having officiated 27 of their matches to date, a substantial sample for any single official.
In those games, Milan have 13 wins, 6 draws and 8 defeats under Mariani. They have been awarded 8 penalties across those fixtures, and have also picked up four red cards, two of them second yellows and two straight dismissals.
His two most recent Milan matches both finished 1-1, with Rafael Leão scoring the equaliser on each occasion, against Como at San Siro and against Genoa before that. There was some debate over a penalty awarded to Genoa, which was missed, but no significant refereeing errors in those games.
Juventus, by contrast, have fared better under Mariani, with 16 wins, 5 draws and just 3 defeats in matches he has overseen. They have been granted only two penalties in that time, a notable contrast with Milan’s eight.
Records like these rarely decide anything on the pitch, but with Milan chasing three straight wins against their rivals, every detail around Sunday’s meeting will be picked over until kick-off.