Italian Refereeing Chief Rocchi Investigated, Steps Aside Amid Probe
Gianluca Rocchi, the head of Italy's refereeing designators for Serie A and Serie B, has been placed under investigation by the Milan Prosecutor's Office for alleged complicity in sports fraud and has voluntarily stepped aside from his role. The Italian Referees Association (AIA) announced that Rocchi informed deputy vice-president Francesco Massini of his decision to suspend himself on Tuesday evening. Andrea Gervasoni, the VAR supervisor for the top two divisions, who is also under investigation in the same probe, has also stepped aside.
The AIA stated it will urgently convene a National Committee to decide who will take over Rocchi's duties. The investigation stems from a complaint filed by a former member of the referees' association, according to a statement from Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi. The details of the alleged sports fraud have not been disclosed by the Milan prosecutors, but the case reportedly involves the handling of a specific complaint related to a match between Udinese and Parma.
According to reports, the initial complaint was previously archived by the football federation's prosecutor, Giuseppe Chinè. However, Ugo Taucer, the head of the General Sports Prosecutor's Office at the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), has now requested an immediate report from Chinè regarding that earlier dismissal. Chinè's office had stated it closed the investigation after receiving the complaint, doing so "with the sharing and approval of the same General Sports Prosecutor's Office at CONI."
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi addressed the growing crisis in Italian football via a post on social media platform X, calling for transparency and equal treatment. "The most serious aspect that emerges is the way in which the same complaint was handled within the football system," Abodi wrote. He noted a lack of public feedback and clarity on which body received the complaint and was tasked with verifying it. Abodi stated he expects to receive formal information from CONI regarding the matter as soon as possible and warned that consequences would follow if responsibilities are ascertained.
The developments plunge the governance of Italian football into fresh turmoil, casting a shadow over the integrity of its officiating structures just as the season enters its final stages. The swift self-suspensions of Rocchi and Gervasoni indicate the seriousness with which the AIA is treating the judicial investigation, aiming to protect the reputation of the institution while the legal process unfolds. The immediate focus for the league will be the appointment of a new designator to ensure the smooth continuation of the fixture calendar.
