Serie A – Italian League
Another alleged ‘Calciopoli’ threatens to shake Italy
Gianluca Rocchi, the referee assignor for Serie A and Serie B, has been placed under investigation for “conspiracy in sports fraud”.
Gianluca Rocchi has stated he is completely innocent of the allegations and vowed to defend himself to dismantle every point of the case.
The case revives shadows of the past, echoes that inevitably recall Calciopoli. It all stems from a letter of complaint sent in May 2025 by Domenico Rocca, a former assistant referee from Vibo Valentia who officiated his last Serie A match in May 2024 (Napoli–Fiorentina) and his final Serie B appearance on May 9, 2025 (Spezia–Cremonese). The sports justice system initially closed his complaint, but now the matter has been reopened in criminal court.
The investigation centers on the 2024-25 season and came to light again following the release of a video by AGI. In the footage, VAR official Paterna, during a March 2025 Udinese–Parma match, turns toward the glass partition of the VAR room in Lissone and asks if the action is a penalty. Moments later, referee Maresca is called for an “on-field review” and ultimately awards the penalty. This gesture by Paterna is now one of the main focuses for investigators.
In his original letter, Rocca directly accused Gianluca Rocchi of getting up from his seat and striking the glass that separates the VAR room several times to get the attention of Paterna (VAR) and Sozza (AVAR), thereby influencing the subsequent monitor review. Under regulations, no outsider is allowed to interfere with those officiating a match at Lissone.
Following the complaint, the then-president of the AIA (Italian Referees Association), Zappi, ordered federal inspectors to monitor the proper functioning of the VAR room during matches and produce detailed reports after each visit. That internal investigation was closed at the sports level, but it has now resurfaced with criminal weight.
Among the episodes reviewed are other matches, such as an Inter–Verona game in January 2024, where VAR Nasca did not call the referee to review a clear elbow by Bastoni on Duda. This was a serious mistake, though not an isolated one.
Rocchi insists he has no connection to these events and is ready to defend himself on all fronts. However, the case once again opens cracks in the Italian referee system.
And the noise around officiating, once more, does not stop. Italian football, hit by a third consecutive World Cup absence and the “escort and balloons” scandal, finds itself back in the eye of the storm. The feeling is clear: it smells of an empire in decline.
International Football
Serie A
Italian League