An investigation is continuing against 5 people from the referee community within the scope of the investigation opened on suspicion of influencing the results of some matches in the last two seasons in the Italian first (Serie A) and second (Serie B) football leagues.
Italian football, which suffered a great shock by not being able to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, is experiencing shock from the investigation of the Milan Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against referees, which was made public on April 25.
In the news of La Gazzetta dello Sport, it was reported that 5 people from the referee community were investigated within the scope of the investigation initiated on the allegation that the appointments of referees and video assistant referees (VAR) affected the results of the competition, and that no club managers were among these people.
Former referee Gianluca Rocchi, head of the Serie A and Serie B Referees Appointment Board, VAR observer Andrea Gervasoni, VAR referee Luigi Nasca, assistant VAR referee Rodolfo Di Vuolo and VAR referee Daniele Paterna, referee appointments and VAR in 3 Serie A, 1 Serie B and 1 Italian Cup matches played in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. It was stated that the decisions were examined for affecting the outcome of the competition.
However, in the first news about the investigation in the press, it was claimed that Rocchi was accused of trying to influence some VAR decisions and appointing Inter’s “satisfied referees” to the blue-blacks’ matches.
The Italian Referees Association (AIA) appointed Dino Tommasi as interim referee appointment officer until the end of the season, replacing Rocchi in the investigation file.
On the other hand, the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Bonfiglio, answered the questions about whether there was a situation such as appointing a trustee to the Italian Football Federation, that there was no need to appoint a trustee.
