MILAN — In a significant development in Italian football’s latest judicial inquiry, public prosecutors in Milan have formally closed the sports fraud case against Gianluca Rocchi, the former head of referee designation for Italy’s top two professional leagues, and his deputy Andrea Gervasoni, clearing both men of all criminal allegations.
Rocchi, who oversaw referee and VAR appointments for Serie A and Serie B until the investigation launched, was first named as a target of a criminal probe back in April this year. The accusations against him centered on two key claims: that he had manipulated video assistant referee (VAR) decisions during top-flight matches, and improperly altered referee selection processes to favor specific clubs.
In an official statement released Wednesday, the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it had found “no evidence of a structured system aimed at interfering with appointments” that would support the sports fraud charges. The investigation centered on incidents that took place during the 2024-25 Serie A season. One of the most high-profile claims was that Rocchi had swapped the assigned referee for an Inter Milan match with an official thought to be more favorable to the Milan-based club. Inter Milan, which finished just one point behind eventual Serie A champion Napoli that season, was never implicated in any wrongdoing as part of the inquiry.
The second allegation tied to Rocchi involved a March 1, 2025 Serie A fixture between Udinese and Parma. Prosecutors claimed he interfered with VAR protocols by banging on the window of the VAR booth to urge officials to conduct an on-field review of a potential penalty call. Jurisdiction over this specific incident has been transferred to the Monza Public Prosecutor’s Office, as the league’s central VAR operations room falls within their geographic authority.
Shortly after the investigation was opened earlier this year, Rocchi immediately resigned from his post. He was temporarily replaced by Dino Tommasi before the Italian Football Federation appointed Daniele Orsato as his permanent successor.
Antonio D’Avirro, Rocchi’s legal representative, spoke publicly after the case dismissal Wednesday, noting that his client was relieved by the outcome. “I’ve spoken to him and he is very pleased; now we will consider our next steps. I’m meeting him tomorrow to discuss the matter in detail,” D’Avirro said. He added that while the case was resolved quickly, the personal and professional cost for Rocchi had already been high.
D’Avirro also pushed back against the remaining allegations tied to the Udinese-Parma incident, arguing no sporting fraud could be established in that case. “I fail to see how those ‘knocks’ could constitute sporting fraud; they were intended to correct a serious error the referee was making, certainly not to alter the match result. From a legal standpoint, I do not see how a case for sporting fraud could be established.”