The Milan Prosecutor's Office is investigating allegations that former Serie A referee designator Gianluca Rocchi manipulated official appointments to benefit Inter Milan during the 2024-25 season. According to documents from the investigation, prosecutors possess an environmental interception from San Siro in which Rocchi is allegedly heard discussing appointments for two specific matches involving Inter.
The key appointments under scrutiny are those of Andrea Colombo for Inter's away match against Bologna on April 20, 2025, and Daniele Doveri for the Coppa Italia semifinal on April 23, 2025. The notice of guarantee states Colombo was selected as a referee "favored by the visiting team," while Doveri was allegedly placed in the semifinal to ensure he would not officiate a potential final or crucial remaining Serie A matches, as he was considered "not favored" by the club. At the time, Inter was in a tight title race with Napoli.
Testimonies from several referees, including Doveri and Colombo themselves, have reportedly provided further confirmation of a suspected "orchestrated" system. The investigation, led by prosecutor Maurizio Ascione and conducted by the Metropolitan Operational Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, suggests there was a shared awareness among officials about these manipulated appointments. Rocchi is under investigation for criminal conspiracy alongside several other individuals from the refereeing world.
The broader inquiry depicts an internal system within Italian refereeing where officials felt pressured to align with Rocchi's faction to secure future assignments and fees. Former referees Domenico Rocca and Eugenio Abbattista have reportedly testified about mechanisms of post-match evaluations and alleged "purges" of those who did not fall in line. The prosecutors have reiterated that, for now, clubs and their officials are not under investigation and are not considered injured parties.
Separate testimony has brought a previous public outburst from Jose Mourinho back into focus. In May 2023, while managing Roma, Mourinho stated, "We don't have the strength that other clubs have to say 'we don't want this referee,' there are teams that do it. We all know." His comments, directed at then-designator Rocchi, followed a draw with Monza. Abbattista, one of the witnesses in the current case, commented on the investigation, saying it offers him a moral restitution and that he is motivated solely by a sense of justice.
The procedural situation remains fluid, with checks ongoing. Rocchi, through his lawyer Antonio D'Avirro, waived his right to an interrogation scheduled for tomorrow in Milan. Meanwhile, another official, Andrea Gervasoni, under investigation for a separate case involving Salernitana-Modena, is scheduled for questioning. He may also be questioned about his role as VAR supervisor for an Inter-Roma match, though this episode is not currently formally contested.
