Italian football is facing a major scandal as prosecutors in Milan investigate the alleged illegal interference of head referee designator Gianluca Rocchi in VAR decisions, according to reports from Italian news agency AGI and La Gazzetta dello Sport. The investigation, opened after a complaint from assistant referee Domenico Rocca, centers on an incident during Udinese's match against Parma on March 1, 2025. Rocchi, the head of Italy's referees, is alleged to have banged on the windows of the VAR room in Lissone to alert video official Daniele Paterna to award a penalty, a direct violation of protocols mandating VAR autonomy.
Rocca, who was later sidelined, wrote to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Milan prosecutors to denounce what he considered unfairly low performance evaluations, pointing the finger at Rocchi's conduct. While the FIGC initially dismissed the complaint, the Milan prosecutor's office proceeded with an investigation. Rocchi, Paterna, and VAR supervisor Andrea Gervasoni have now been formally placed under investigation for alleged complicity in sporting fraud.
The Udinese-Parma incident is not isolated. Investigators are reportedly examining several other matches, including Inter Milan versus Hellas Verona in January 2024, Salernitana-Modena and Bologna-Inter in 2025, and an Inter Milan derby against AC Milan in April 2025. According to AGI, the probe suggests Rocchi may have manipulated referee appointments, selecting officials allegedly "favored" by Inter Milan during their title race and choosing one "disliked" by the club for a Coppa Italia semi-final to ensure a more favorable official for a potential final.
Inter Milan's technical director, Giuseppe Marotta, forcefully denied any club involvement on Sunday. "We are shocked to hear these comments that we have read in recent days," Marotta said. "We do not have a favored or unfavored referee. I say with complete serenity that we have always acted with maximum correctness and that neither today nor in the future will we be involved in this story."
The scandal has deepened with reports from Calcio e Finanza and La Repubblica that investigators have uncovered a coded gesture system used for communication between the pitch and the VAR booth. A raised hand allegedly signaled not to intervene, while a closed fist indicated a review was necessary. More shockingly, former referee Pasquale De Meo told La Gazzetta dello Sport that VAR officials sometimes used a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide whether to review an incident, describing "childish games" that highlight a deep malaise.
The ramifications could extend far beyond individual matches. Serie A president Ezio Maria Simonelli has held talks with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, who has warned that proven political interference within the FIGC could lead to Italian clubs being excluded from European competitions. Furthermore, Italy's co-hosting of Euro 2032 with Turkey is under threat. Čeferin had already expressed doubts about Italy's infrastructure readiness earlier in April, stating the tournament would not be held in Italy if facilities were not prepared.
This crisis evokes memories of the 2006 Calciopoli scandal that saw Juventus relegated and other clubs sanctioned. It compounds a difficult period for Italian football, following the national team's failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and other recent controversies. Simonelli has described the current case as "isolated" and argued it should not penalize the entire league. "If it turns out that someone has committed a fault, it will be right that they pay the price," he said. "But it is in no way permissible to call into question the credibility of the system and the regularity of the championship."
