Referee Rocchi is under investigation for suspected sports fraud and has suspended himself from his post.

Gianluca Rocchi, the head referee of the National Referees Committee responsible for assigning referees in Serie A and Serie B, is currently under investigation by the Milan prosecutor's office for alleged involvement in sports fraud during the 2024-25 season.

The Italian Referees Association (AIA) has issued a statement confirming that Rocchi has announced his self-suspension. Meanwhile, Andrea Gervasoni, the head of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the first two tiers of Italian football, has also made the same decision to suspend himself due to his involvement in the investigation.

According to the Italian news agency AGI, the charges against Rocchi mainly involve alleged interference in match decisions. The report indicates that Rocchi is accused of deliberately assigning a referee favored by Inter Milan during a match.

In addition, VAR decided not to intervene when an Inter Milan player elbowed an opponent in another match, and that incident is currently under review.

More specific allegations come from Udinese's 1-0 victory over Parma last March. It is alleged that the referee and VAR officials had initially agreed not to award a penalty, but Rocchi allegedly pressured the VAR officials to remind the referee to review the handball incident on the sidelines monitors, an intervention that ultimately led to a reversal of the decision.

Facing heavy-handed accusations, 52-year-old Rocky maintained his innocence in a statement. He said, "This was a painful decision made with my family to ensure the smooth progress of the legal process."

“I firmly believe that I will eventually weather this storm. As the chief referee, my primary responsibility is to protect the referee community and I do not want them to be affected by my personal situation.”

Under Italian law, sports fraud is a serious criminal offense, punishable by up to six years in prison if convicted. The subsequent developments in this case will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the credibility of Italian football.

Image source: Internet