"The Milan derby is definitely one of the hardest games to officiate in Italy. The outcome means a tremendous amount to the fans, not to mention the players, which often results in a lot of tension on the pitch. On top of that, you know that every decision will be heavily scrutinised. As such, some perhaps raised their eyebrows when they saw that AIA had named Simone Sozza as the referee for Sunday's encounter. Why? Because the 38-year-old was born and raised in Milan."
"The head designator Gianluca Rocchi, however, made it clear that such rules are old-fashioned and that AIA like to look at the quality of the referee instead. Starting with Milan, Sozza has officiated seven games involving them, with the Rossoneri winning four and losing three. As for Inter, the referee also has seven games under his belt, but the Nerazzurri have six wins and one defeat."
Simone Sozza, a 38-year-old born and raised in Milan, will referee the Derby della Madonnina between AC Milan and Inter. The Milan derby generates intense tension and scrutiny for every decision. AIA head designator Gianluca Rocchi prioritized referee quality over traditional city-based avoidance rules when naming the official. Sozza has officiated seven matches for Milan (four wins, three losses) and seven for Inter (six wins, one loss). Neither club has received a red card from him; Milan conceded two penalties under him and Inter three. Sozza has previously refereed two Milan derbies, one league and one Supercoppa Italia final.
Read at SempreMilan
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