Serie A referee chief Rocchi faces sports-fraud probe over VAR claims

MILAN (AP): Italian football is confronting another controversy away from the pitch, with a new refereeing matter emerging shortly after the men's national side failed once more to reach the World Cup.

Gianluca Rocchi, who is responsible for referees in Serie A and Serie B, is now under criminal investigation on suspicion of sports fraud. He is due in a Milan court on Thursday.

Andrea Gervasoni, who heads the video assistant referee operation, is also part of the investigation. Rocchi is alleged to have attempted to influence VAR decisions and alter referee selections, and he has stepped aside from his duties for the time being as the case proceeds.

Serie A President Ezio Simonelli said the competition has an obligation to defend integrity. "We have a duty to guarantee that the football system ensures transparency and equal treatment," he said in a statement.

Simonelli also said: "Trusting in the work of the competent bodies, it cannot be a notice of investigation that calls into question the intellectual honesty and the work of an entire system. If it turns out that someone made a mistake, it will be right for them to pay. But it is never allowed to question the credibility of the system and the regularity of the championship."

The claims involving Rocchi stem from the 2024-25 season. One allegation centres on Udinese's Serie A match against Parma on March 1, 2025, when Rocchi is said to have hit the glass of the VAR room and pushed officials to seek an on-field review over a penalty call.

Reports in the Italian press say prosecutors are also examining Rocchi's role in referee appointments. That includes allegations that he replaced the referee for an Inter Milan game with an official considered more favourable to the Nerazzurri.

Inter, who finished one point behind champions Napoli in Serie A, are not accused of any misconduct.

Italy's football federation, FIGC, had examined a complaint about Rocchi linked to the VAR-room incident last year, but ended its disciplinary proceedings in July. The criminal investigation has now brought the issue back into focus.

FIGC Prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné said he has been in contact with Milan prosecutors and would reconsider reopening the federation file if new evidence is presented.