Italian football has been rocked by the news that Gianluca Rocchi, the chief of referees for Serie A and Serie B, has suspended himself with immediate effect amid a sports fraud investigation. The decision comes as Milan's Public Prosecutor's Office launches an inquiry into alleged misconduct during last season's campaign.
Rocchi Steps Aside
Rocchi, who is responsible for appointing match officials in Italy's top two divisions, confirmed his self-suspension in a statement released to the Italian Referees' Association (AIA). He described the move as a "painful, difficult but shared" choice with his family, intended to allow legal proceedings to run their course properly. "From which I am sure I will come out unscathed and stronger than before," he added.
Andrea Gervasoni, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) supervisor, has also stepped aside under similar circumstances. The probe is examining incidents from the 2025-26 Serie A season, with Italian media reporting that Rocchi is accused of manipulating VAR protocols and selecting officials perceived to be favourable to Inter Milan.
Inter Milan Denies Wrongdoing
Inter Milan's president, Giuseppe Marotta, expressed astonishment at the allegations. Speaking to Sky Sports before his club's match against Torino on Sunday, he stated: "We are learning everything from the media, so we are stunned by the declarations." Marotta firmly denied any wrongdoing, adding: "We do not have referees that we favour or are unfavourable towards, we are confident that we acted entirely fairly, which should reassure everyone. We are safe in the knowledge that Inter are not involved in this situation and will not be involved in the future."
Parallels to Calciopoli
The unfolding situation has ignited concerns across Italy that the sport could be facing another major crisis. Parallels are being drawn to the infamous Calciopoli match-fixing scandal of 2006, which led to Juventus being stripped of their 2004-05 Serie A title and relegated to Serie B, with AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina also implicated.
Inter Milan went on to draw 2-2 with Torino on Sunday, and are on the brink of winning another Serie A title as they are currently 10 points clear of Napoli with four matches remaining.
