Key Takeaways
- Gianluca Rocchi has stepped down temporarily as the head of referees in Italy.
- Police in Milan are investigating him for sporting fraud related to two matches.
- The VAR chief Andrea Gervasoni is also facing investigation for the same offence.
The boss of referees in Italy’s top football divisions has stopped working. Gianluca Rocchi is under investigation for sporting fraud. He is the official who assigns referees to Serie A and Serie B matches.
Rocchi announced on Saturday that he will suspend himself from duty. He said this will help the court case proceed smoothly. He believes he will prove his innocence once the proceedings end. “This painful and difficult decision is intended to allow the judicial proceedings to run smoothly,” he stated.
Investigators claim Rocchi influenced the choice of officials for specific games. One case involves a match between Inter Milan and Bologna in April last year. Prosecutors allege Rocchi selected referee Andrea Colombo because he was “liked by Inter”. Bologna won the fixture 1-0 with a goal in the final minutes.
The second claim relates to a match between Udinese and Parma in March last year. Rocchi allegedly banged on the door of the VAR room to pressure officials. Video footage shows VAR official Daniele Paterna turning from his monitors and stating “it’s a penalty” after speaking with someone off-camera. The officials had initially ruled there was no handball offence. After the intervention, the referee awarded a penalty, which led to Udinese winning 1-0.
Andrea Gervasoni, who leads the VAR department, is also under investigation for sporting fraud.
This criminal offence carries a maximum prison sentence of six years in Italy. The case files will also go to the Italian Football Federation. Their own prosecutors may open a separate inquiry into the matter.