Investigation into Alleged Sporting Fraud within Italian Refereeing Administration

Apr 26, 2026, 19:45

Introduction

The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has initiated an investigation into suspected sporting fraud involving senior officials of the Italian Referees Association (AIA), leading to the self-suspension of key leadership figures.

Main Body

The judicial inquiry centers on Gianluca Rocchi, the referee designator for Serie A and Serie B, and Andrea Gervasoni, the VAR supervisor. Both officials resigned their positions on April 26, 2026, to facilitate the legal process. The investigation was prompted by a May 2025 complaint from former assistant referee Domenico Rocca, which alleged systemic irregularities. While the FIGC Federal Prosecutor, Giuseppe Chinè, stated that an initial sporting investigation into these claims was dismissed in July 2025, the Milan Prosecutor is now examining the matter for potential criminal relevance. Specific allegations against Rocchi involve the improper influence of match outcomes and official assignments during the 2024-25 season. Prosecutors are scrutinizing a March 1, 2025, match between Udinese and Parma, where video evidence allegedly shows Rocchi communicating with VAR officials from outside the designated booth to influence a penalty decision. Furthermore, it is alleged that Rocchi manipulated referee assignments for Inter Milan, specifically appointing Andrea Colombo for a match against Bologna and avoiding the appointment of Daniele Doveri for a Coppa Italia fixture to prevent perceived unfavorable officiating. Inter Milan's administration has expressed detachment from these allegations. President Beppe Marotta stated that the club is uninvolved and noted that several refereeing decisions from the previous season were objectively adverse to the team. Coach Cristian Chivu has similarly declined to comment on the judicial proceedings, maintaining a focus on the club's current pursuit of the Scudetto. Despite this, reports indicate the club is experiencing frustration due to the timing of the investigation and the resurgence of past controversial incidents, such as an unawarded penalty against Roma and a foul involving Alessandro Bastoni against Verona. From an institutional perspective, the situation has drawn the attention of Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, who has called for transparency and equal treatment in the handling of these allegations. The potential for systemic failure has led to comparisons with the 2006 Calciopoli scandal. Currently, the FIGC is considering temporary leadership replacements, with Maurizio Ciampi identified as a likely candidate to oversee refereeing operations.

Conclusion

The investigation remains ongoing, with Gianluca Rocchi scheduled for questioning on April 30. The final determination of whether these incidents represent isolated irregularities or a systemic fraud will depend on the evidence processed by the Milan Public Prosecutor.

Vocabulary Learning

detachment (n.)
state of being impartial超然
Example:His detachment from the controversy allowed him to remain objective.
facilitate (v.)
to make an action or process easier促進
Example:The new software will facilitate data analysis for researchers.
prompted (v.)
to cause someone to take action促使
Example:The alarming statistics prompted the council to act immediately.
scrutinizing (v.)
examining something closely仔細審查
Example:The audit committee was scrutinizing the financial statements.
transparency (n.)
quality of being open and honest透明度
Example:The company’s transparency in reporting earned public trust.

Sentence Learning

While the FIGC Federal Prosecutor, Giuseppe Chinè, stated that an initial sporting investigation into these claims was dismissed in July 2025, the Milan Prosecutor is now examining the matter for potential criminal relevance.
Subordination: The sentence begins with a subordinate clause introduced by 'While', which sets a temporal condition before the main clause. This structure emphasizes the contrast between the earlier dismissal and the current examination.層疊句: 句子以 'While' 開頭的從屬子句設定了時間條件，與主句形成對比，強調先前被駁回與目前正在調查之間的關係。
Prosecutors are scrutinizing a March 1, 2025, match between Udinese and Parma, where video evidence allegedly shows Rocchi communicating with VAR officials from outside the designated booth to influence a penalty decision.
Relative Clause: The clause 'where video evidence allegedly shows...' modifies 'match' and provides additional information about the evidence. It uses a relative pronoun 'where' to link location and content.關係子句: 子句 'where video evidence allegedly shows...' 修飾 'match'，提供關於證據的額外資訊，使用關係代詞 'where' 將地點與內容連結。
Furthermore, it is alleged that Rocchi manipulated referee assignments for Inter Milan, specifically appointing Andrea Colombo for a match against Bologna and avoiding the appointment of Daniele Doveri for a Coppa Italia fixture to prevent perceived unfavorable officiating.
Reduced Relative Clause + Infinitive: The phrase 'specifically appointing...' is a reduced relative clause that describes the action of manipulating assignments. The infinitive phrase 'to prevent perceived unfavorable officiating' explains the purpose.簡化關係子句＋不定詞: 'specifically appointing...' 為簡化關係子句，說明操縱分配的行為；不定詞片語 'to prevent perceived unfavorable officiating' 說明目的。
Coach Cristian Chivu has similarly declined to comment on the judicial proceedings, maintaining a focus on the club's current pursuit of the Scudetto.
Participial Phrase: The participial phrase 'maintaining a focus' provides additional information about Chivu's simultaneous action, functioning as an adverbial modifier of the main verb 'declined'.分詞短語: 分詞短語 'maintaining a focus' 進一步說明 Chivu 同時進行的行為，作為主要動詞 'declined' 的副詞性修飾。
Despite this, reports indicate the club is experiencing frustration due to the timing of the investigation and the resurgence of past controversial incidents, such as an unawarded penalty against Roma and a foul involving Alessandro Bastoni against Verona.
Parenthetical Clause (such as): The clause 'such as an unawarded penalty against Roma and a foul involving Alessandro Bastoni against Verona' is a parenthetical example inserted after the main clause, illustrating the types of incidents.插入子句 (such as): 子句 'such as an unawarded penalty against Roma and a foul involving Alessandro Bastoni against Verona' 作為插入例子，說明具體事件類型。