Prosecutors in Milan have formally requested the dismissal of a sporting fraud case against Gianluca Rocchi, the official responsible for assigning referees in Italy's top two divisions, after a two-year investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Rocchi, a former international referee who serves as designator for the National Referees Commission in Serie A and Serie B, voluntarily suspended himself from his duties in April after being placed under investigation for "complicity in sporting fraud" relating to the 2024-25 season. He has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the process.
The investigation centered on allegations that Rocchi influenced referee appointments, with claims that he selected a particular official for an Inter Milan match because that referee was "liked by Inter." A VAR decision not to intervene when an Inter player elbowed an opponent in another fixture also came under scrutiny.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, prosecutors concluded that there was no evidence of a coordinated system designed to manipulate referee assignments. Their statement noted they did not "identify a structured system aimed at interfering with appointments."
One specific incident examined was Rocchi's alleged pressure on a VAR official to encourage the on-field referee to review a handball offense via the pitchside monitor during Udinese's 1-0 victory over Parma in March 2025. The referee and VAR official had initially decided against awarding a penalty before changing their minds, with Florian Thauvin subsequently scoring the match's only goal from the resulting spot kick.
The parallel case opened against Inter Milan has also been dropped.
However, the matter is not entirely closed. Prosecutors have forwarded the case documents to Italy's sports justice authorities and the Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) General Prosecutor's Office for evaluation of potential disciplinary breaches within a sporting context.
Sporting fraud remains a criminal offense in Italy carrying a maximum prison sentence of six years.
The development represents a significant legal victory for Rocchi, 53, who officiated at the highest levels of the game — including Champions League and Europa League fixtures — before transitioning into his current administrative role.
Sources
- BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c6212p55rpdo
