Title: Italian Football Referees Under Investigation: Key Matches, VAR Dialogues, and Fallout for Inter, Udinese, Parma, and Verona

Italian football referee designator Gianluca Rocchi is under investigation by the Milan public prosecutor’s office for alleged conspiracy to commit sports fraud, with prosecutors focusing on specific incidents involving VAR decisions during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons.

The investigation, led by prosecutor Maurizio Ascione, centers on three disputed episodes. First, the designation of referee Andrea Colombo for the Bologna-Inter match on April 20, 2024, is alleged to have been manipulated to favor Inter. Second, the inclusion of referee Maurizio Doveri in the 2025 Italia Cup semifinal is under scrutiny for similar reasons. Third, officials are examining alleged interference in the Udinese-Parma match of March 1, 2025, where VAR official Daniele Paterna initially hesitated to award a penalty for a handball incident but later changed his decision after consulting via the transparent windows of the VAR room in Lissone.

Audio and video recordings from the VAR room show Paterna initially inclined not to award the penalty, but he quickly reversed his stance and advised an on-field review, which ultimately led to the penalty being given and converted by Thauvin, securing Udinese’s victory. Prosecutors allege that Rocchi attempted to attract Paterna’s attention by knocking on the glass of the VAR room, suggesting external influence on the decision.

Paterna was initially called as a witness in the investigation but later became a suspect in a perjury probe after inconsistencies were found in his testimony. The Milan Prosecutor General’s Office for Sport has requested documents related to the case, and Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi has stated he expects information from CONI, Italy’s national Olympic committee.

Former referee and VAR official Andrea Gervasoni, who serves as the VAR supervisor, is also under scrutiny in the investigation. Sources close to Rocchi have confirmed the investigation, which has drawn widespread concern across Italian football about the integrity of officiating and potential systemic conditioning in match assignments and VAR interventions.

Rocchi, who holds the role of designator for Serie A and Serie B referees, has temporarily stepped aside from his duties amid the investigation. The case echoes past controversies in Italian football and raises serious questions about the independence of VAR operations and referee appointments in high-stakes matches.