Italian FA Referee Designator Rocchi Under Investigation for Sporting Fraud
Gianluca Rocchi, the designator of referees for Italy's Serie A and Serie B, has received formal notification that he is under investigation for alleged sporting fraud, according to prosecutors in Milan. The notification, known as an "avviso di garanzia," was delivered to Rocchi this morning, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 30. Rocchi has stated through his representatives that he is innocent and serene, and will defend himself to dismantle the accusations.
The investigation, led by prosecutor Maurizio Ascione, centers on three specific allegations. The first accuses Rocchi of "combining" the appointment of referee Andrea Colombo for the Bologna versus Inter Milan match on April 20, 2024, because Colombo was allegedly an official "favored" by Inter. At the time, Inter was engaged in a tight title race in the final stages of the season. Bologna won that match 1-0 with a goal from Riccardo Orsolini.
The second allegation claims Rocchi manipulated the assignment of referee Daniele Doveri to the Coppa Italia semifinal first leg between Inter and AC Milan on April 2, 2025. Prosecutors allege this was done to ensure Doveri, considered "not favored" by Inter, would be ineligible to officiate the potential final or other crucial Serie A matches for the Milan club later in the season. AC Milan won that derby 3-0 and later reached the final, where they lost to Bologna.
The third accusation relates to Rocchi's role as a Video Assistant Referee supervisor. He is alleged to have improperly influenced VAR official Daniele Paterna during Udinese's match against Parma on March 1, 2025, inducing an on-field review that led to a penalty for Udinese against Paterna's judgment. Udinese won that game 1-0 thanks to a Florian Thauvin penalty. Notably, the investigative file does not include the controversial incident involving Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni's elbow on Verona's Ondrej Duda in a 2023/24 match, where a VAR review was not called.
The case has swiftly escalated to involve the Italian government. According to reports, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has criticized the Italian Football Federation's handling of the situation, warning of potential consequences and raising the specter of the federation being placed under extraordinary administration. The FIGC's own prosecutor has now formally requested the case files from the Milan prosecutors as it considers parallel sporting justice proceedings.
This investigation casts a significant shadow over the integrity of officiating in Italian football at a critical time. Rocchi, a former international referee himself, holds one of the most influential roles in the domestic game, responsible for appointing match officials to every top-flight fixture. The allegations, if proven, would suggest a systemic manipulation of appointments to benefit specific clubs, namely Inter Milan, during pivotal moments in the season.
