Serie A referee scandal: What to know as officiating assignments and VAR calls under investigation

Serie A and Serie B referee designator Gianluca Rocchi is under investigation for "participation in sports fraud"

Francesco Porzio

Apr 26, 2026

9:30 am ET

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5 min read

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There's a new referee scandal coming to light in Italy. According to the multiple media reports, Serie A and Serie B referee designator Gianluca Rocchi is under investigation for "participation in sports fraud" on suspicion of having influenced Video Assistant Referee's decisions.

The investigation is still underway, with key details and potential club involvement yet to be clarified. Rocchi, who is in charge of assigning referees to the games for both Serie A and Serie B, confirmed the news on Saturday: "This morning I received a notice of investigation. I am sure I have always acted correctly and I have full confidence in the judiciary," Rocchi said in a statement to ANSA, the Italian major news agency.

Rocchi then announced that he was stepping down with immediate effect.

"Regarding today's events, in agreement with the AIA (Italian Referees Association) and for the sake of the CAN group, which must be able to operate with maximum serenity, I have decided to self-suspend, effective immediately, from the role of head of the CAN. This choice, painful and difficult, but shared with my family, is intended to allow for the proper course of the judicial proceedings, from which I am certain I will emerge unscathed and stronger than before."

In May 2025 a complaint letter was sent to the Italian Referees Association (AIA) by former referee assistant Domenico Rocca, who underlined some of the issues of the Italian referee system. The investigation led by Milan Prosecutor Maurizio Ascione addresses incidents that took place primarily during the 2024-25 season, when Napoli won the Scudetto on the last matchday.

What is the accusation about?

There are still plenty of details to be clarified and made public, but according to reports, Rocchi over-stepped his authority with VAR officials to recommend on-field reviews by banging on the window of the VAR booth in the Lissone VAR center (as with many sports, video review takes place away from the field where games are played, with the decisions being routed to a centralized location), and of assigning referees who were 'preferred' by some clubs, such as Inter, instead of others. None of the clubs or FA have commented on the matter. The President of the Italian FA Gabriele Gravina stepped down from his role following the national team's elimination at the World Cup playoffs.

One of the incidents under scrutiny took place during the Serie A match between Udinese and Parma on March 1, 2025. During the game, the three VAR officials in Lissone were reviewing a possible handball in Parma's penalty area. Initially, VAR official Daniele Paterna seemed inclined to dismiss the appeal, remarking, "Look at the position of the arm, it seems on the body." At one point, however, he looked behind him and appeared to address someone off-camera. Investigators suspect that Gianluca Rocchi may have left his position and repeatedly knocked on the VAR room's glass door to draw the officials' attention, allegedly urging them to recommend an on-field review. Udinese were ultimately awarded a penalty, which they converted to secure a 1–0 victory.

The inquiry is also examining earlier VAR-related episodes, including a controversial incident involving Alessandro Bastoni during the 2023–24 season. In that case, VAR official Luigi Nasca was later demoted after failing to flag a potential foul in the build-up to a goal. Although the sporting justice system had already reviewed and archived the matter, it has now been reopened by the civil courts.

The reactions

The head of the Italian Serie A Ezio Simonelli wrote a statement on Sunday, stating, "Following what has been reported across all media outlets, I would like to remind everyone that, as in any other situation, these are accusations made by investigators, and it is everyone's duty to treat them as such within a normal democratic dialogue. Hasty judgments or conclusions of any kind are out of place while we dutifully wait for the investigations to complete their course and establish the truth. None of us know the details of the case, and being a proponent of due process is our precise duty until the final level of judgment.

"Otherwise, there is a risk of enormous reputational damage to the Serie A system and the entire Italian football movement through a distorted narrative and a literal 'media pillory.' Furthermore, on the merits of the case, it is well known that both the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the CONI Prosecutor's Office moved promptly and have already expressed their views on certain points of the investigation. Ordinary justice will take its course, but we cannot ignore the work already carried out at the time by the compe