Refereeing Scandal Undermines Inter’s Serie A Title Aspirations
This weekend could have marked Inter’s clinching of the Serie A title. Instead, the league was rocked by a refereeing scandal. On Saturday, Agenzia Italia revealed that Gianluca Rocchi, the official responsible for appointing referees in Serie A and Serie B, is under investigation for alleged “complicity in sports fraud.” Consequently, he was suspended from his role on the national refereeing committee for the Italian second division league (CAN).
Andrea Gervasoni, a video assistant referee (VAR) supervisor involved in these investigations, also faced repercussions. Through a statement by the Italian Referees Association, Rocchi expressed his desire to minimize disruption to his colleagues as the case unfolds, stating his belief that he would emerge “unscathed and stronger than before.” However, the precise nature of the allegations against both men remains unclear, according to their legal representatives.
Two decades after the notorious Calciopoli scandal—which resulted in Juventus being stripped of two Serie A titles and relegated—Italian football is once again grappling with accusations of corruption. At the heart of the current investigation by Milan prosecutors lies the troubling claim that Rocchi agreed to appoint specific officials for key Inter matches during the closing stages of the previous season.
The allegations suggest that Rocchi met with an undisclosed individual during Inter’s Coppa Italia semi-final match against AC Milan in April, where he allegedly accepted an offer to assign Andrea Colombo to officiate an upcoming league match against Bologna. Reports indicate that Daniele Dobelli is set to referee the second leg of the cup but has also agreed to oversee the final.
Inter’s performance waned in the wake of the scandal; they suffered a disappointing loss of 4-1 on aggregate to Milan. Following their defeat to Bologna, manager Simone Inzaghi cited officiating issues, asserting that the winning goal by Riccardo Orsolini should have been disallowed due to a throw-in awarded significantly ahead of the ball’s position.
Even if the accusations are substantiated, the gravity of the allegations stands firm. The pivotal question remains regarding whom Rocchi allegedly consulted about these appointments. Prominent Italian media, including Sky Sports, reported that neither Inter nor its directors are under investigation, with the prosecutors solely targeting the referee.
Inter’s president, Giuseppe Marotta, expressed his surprise at the revelations during an interview with Sky Sports before the team’s match against Torino. “What was announced surprised us,” he remarked, insisting that the club has never maintained a list of preferred or disliked referees. “We know that we acted absolutely right, and this fact should help everyone stay calm,” he added.
Rocchi’s lawyer, Antonio Davilo, characterized the accusations as unjust and ambiguous, stating that they suggest a broader conspiracy while failing to name any co-conspirators. Davilo insists that prosecutors need to identify these individuals for the investigation to progress meaningfully. The case also highlights other allegations against Rocchi concerning inappropriate VAR interference during a match between Udinese and Parma in March.
As the investigations unfold, it is evident that Italian football may face prolonged scrutiny. With the Italian Football Federation still searching for a successor to former president Gabriele Gravina, who resigned following the national team’s World Cup failure, stability within the league appears precarious. For the moment, Inter’s road to title contention remains uncertain, but with ten points ahead and just four matches left, a championship celebration may still be within reach.
