Gianluca Rocchi, the official responsible for appointing referees in Italy’s top flight, has suspended himself following a reported investigation into alleged sporting fraud.
According to Italian news agency AGI, the former international referee is under investigation for “complicity in sporting fraud” during the 2024–25 season. A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for Thursday.
The Italian Referees Association (AIA) confirmed Rocchi’s suspension in an official statement following the opening of the probe by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The association also revealed that Andrea Gervasoni, the video assistant referee supervisor for Italy’s top two divisions, has similarly stepped aside after being placed under investigation.
Rocchi, who serves as the National Referees Commission’s designator for Serie A and Serie B officials, addressed the situation in a statement released through the AIA.
“This painful and difficult decision, shared with my family, is intended to allow the judicial process to proceed smoothly, from which I am certain I will emerge unscathed and stronger than before. My great love for my association and my sense of responsibility for the role I hold lead me, above all, to protect such an important group of professionals, whom I do not want to be affected in any way by my circumstances. I await further developments, which I hope will arrive soon to clarify my position.”, he said.
Rocchi is alleged to have influenced the selection of a referee for an Inter Milan match because he was reportedly “liked by Inter”, while a separate VAR decision involving an elbow incident in another game is also under scrutiny.
He is further accused of pressuring a VAR official to prompt a pitchside review for a handball incident during Udinese’s 1-0 win over Parma in March last year, according to AGI. Although the referee and VAR initially chose not to award a penalty, they later reversed their decision, leading to Florian Thauvin scoring the only goal of the match.
Sporting fraud is a criminal offence in Italy and carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
