Serie A and B Referee Selector Gianluca Rocchi is being investigated in Milan for involvement in sports fraud, which led to his self-suspension. The accusation is of exerting pressure on several referees by conditioning their selections and appointing referees who please Inter.
VAR supervisor Andrea Gervasoni is also under investigation. But here are all the points of the investigation; from the disputed facts to possible developments.
It all started with a complaint in the spring of last year from former assistant referee Domenico Rocca to the then president of referees, Antonio Zappi, who sent the report to the FIGC Prosecutor's Office. Giuseppe Chine thought that there were not enough elements to continue the investigation and decided to archive the case. For the latter, the consensus and approval of the Sports Prosecutor's Office at CONI, headed by Ugo Tauces, who had nothing against him, was also needed. Now, the latter has also asked Chine to take the file from Milan.
To what period do the facts about Rocchi refer?
From last season, several Serie A matches, Udinese-Parma and Bologna-Inter, the second leg of the semi-final in the Italian Cup Inter-Milan and the Serie B match Salernitana-Modena are at the center of the investigation. Also under the microscope of the investigators is the Inter-Verona 2023/24 with Bastoni's elbow to Duda.
Who are the people under investigation?
Currently under investigation are the referee selector for Serie A and B, Gianluca Rocchi, and the VAR supervisor Andrea Gervasoni. Both have been notified by the Public Prosecutor's Office; the former with an invitation to appear on Thursday morning at the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office. In that case, Rocchi will have the opportunity to defend himself against the accusation of participation in sports fraud or he can choose not to answer questions, while Rocchi has suspended himself from his post. The Public Prosecutor's Office will also question Gervasoni.
What is the crime of sports fraud?
According to Italian law, offering or promising money, other objects or an advantage to a participant in a sports competition organized by federations recognized by CONI or other sports entities recognized by the state with the aim of achieving a result different from that achieved on the field in a correct manner is punishable by 2-6 years in prison and a fine of 1,000 to 4,000 euros.
Are the other suspects known?
No. It is not known who they are or whether there are other identified suspects. Theoretically, they may not have been informed, or they may not yet be on the register of suspects. This could happen when they are questioned, when verifications are made against them, or at the time of the closure of the investigations. The hypothesis of the crime formulated as 'participation in sports fraud' makes you think that there may be more suspects, perhaps people who have positions in the world of arbitrage.
Can the FIGC federal prosecutor's investigation be reopened now?
Yes. On Saturday morning, the federal prosecutor's office requested the file from the Milan Prosecutor's Office, before this request was also made by the CONI general sports prosecutor's office.
Why can't Rocchi, the referee selector, knock on the VAR room to give suggestions even if they are right?
No outside interference is foreseen in the VAR room. For this reason, the rooms are locked and have dark windows. At the beginning of this season, after a denunciation by Rocca, a change was made to the regulations that now obliges everyone to go to Lissone, including Rocchi, to edit a report specifying the activity carried out. Those who are watching, always starting from the 2025-26 season in Lissone are the people of the federal prosecutor's office.
What does the meeting between Rocchi and other still unidentified people at San Siro have to do with it?
What does the meeting between Rocchi and other still unidentified individuals at San Siro before the first leg of the Cup semi-final, Milan-Inter, have to do with the Bologna-Inter matches of last season in Serie A, the Inter-Milan semi-final of the return leg of the Italian Cup and Salernitana-Modena in Serie B? These matches are not the subject of Rocca's denunciation and it is very likely that the investigations into these challenges will be based on telephone or environmental interceptions, interrogation sessions or new denunciations collected. Not coincidentally, the Milan Prosecutor's Office, after opening an investigation file last summer, managed to obtain an extension of the investigation deadline of 6 months
Not at the moment. The investigation does not appear to involve any members or employees of the club, and this conveys calm regarding this matter.
What will be the next steps in the Milan Prosecutor's Office's investigations?
It is assumed that the investigation will not be short. More will be understood after the interrogation of Rocchi and Gervason.
