Judicial investigation in Italy into allegations of match-fixing

The Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into Gianluca Rocchi, the Italian Serie A head of referee appointments, on charges of complicity in sports corruption, following allegations of influencing refereeing decisions during the 2024–2025 season, according to Italian judicial and media sources.

According to Sky TG24, the investigation centres on a specific incident in the Serie A Udinese v Parma match on 1 March 2025, where video and audio recordings from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room are being scrutinised, amid suspicions of indirect interference in the decision to award a penalty to Udinese.

La Repubblica also reported that the investigation is based on footage showing a discussion within the VAR room regarding a possible handball, before the decision was changed and a review of the incident on the pitch was recommended, which resulted in a penalty being awarded.

Details of the incident are under investigation by the Serie A

According to La Repubblica, the VAR official Daniele Paterna was initially hesitant to award the penalty, before the on-field referee Fabio Maresca was asked to conduct an On-Field Review, which ultimately led to the penalty being awarded.

Accounts within the investigation file suggest the possibility of external influence within the VAR centre in Lissone, where Gianluca Rocchi is alleged to have made gestures intended to draw attention within the room, which the prosecution is examining under the hypothesis of “indirect influence on the refereeing decision”.

The course of the investigation and its expansion

According to Sky TG24, the investigation is not limited to this match alone, but extends to several matches from the 2024–2025 season, with a possible examination of other refereeing decisions suspected of having been influenced by organisational or administrative interference.

Other reports also indicate that the prosecution is examining the possibility of influence over the selection of referees for certain major matches, which broadens the scope of the case beyond the VAR incident.

Featured image via FootballItalia