There are memories that never truly fade, scars that, beneath the surface, continue to pulse like a restless heart. The original Calciopoli was not only a scandal, but an Italian tragedy, a fresco where power, passion and betrayal combined. We remember the whispered telephone conversations, the omnipotent leaders, the arbiters suspected of being only pieces on an invisible chessboard. Italian football, then at the height of its elegance and aura, suddenly found itself plunged into an atmosphere of generalized suspicion. Stadiums, once temples of tactical beauty, have been transformed into scenes of doubt. This affair left behind much more than sporting sanctions of withdrawal of points for several clubs or relegation for Juventus, it shook an entire culture, that of a romantic calcio where we still believed that genius and strategy were enough to write history.
Today, Serie A is going through a new zone of turbulence on several sides, as if history refuses to stay in the past. The championship is in the process of changing, torn between modernization and internal crises. Everyone goes to the front to speak and propose their ideas without any real structure. Added to this sporting instability are extra-sporting scandals, notably a sexual escort affair which further tarnishes the image of nearly 70 Serie A players. At the same time, the Italian federation is trying to rebuild itself after the departure of its president, Gabriele Gravina, opening a period of political uncertainty following the third non-qualification in the World Cup. The elections scheduled for June 22 appear to be a pivotal moment, with struggles for influence behind the scenes and reform projects already on the table. We are talking about increased transparency, reorganization of arbitration, new governance rules. But in this charged climate, each revelation seems to further weaken an already cracked structure.
Secret meetings to appoint arbitrators
And then there is this new affair which is shaking the foundations of calcio again. The name of Gianluca Rocchi, responsible for referees in Serie A, emerges at the heart of an investigation into sports fraud which is taking on a worrying scale. According to the elements revealed by theAGI Agency, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Il Messaggeroand the Gazzetta dello Sporthe would have participated in oriented arbitration appointments, notably in favor of Inter Milan, in the midst of the fight for the title. Three counts structure the case. In the first, there is question of an arrangement around the choice of Andrea Colombo for a crucial Bologna-Inter in April 2025, presented as a referee appreciated by the Milanese club. The second part evokes a broader strategy, with the appointment of Daniele Doveri in the semi-final of the Italian Cup, in order to indirectly influence the future arbitrations of Inter in the decisive matches. The third point concerns an alleged intervention during Udinese-Parma, where Rocchi allegedly influenced a VAR decision to award a controversial penalty. Faced with these accusations, Rocchi suspended himself, claiming to have always acted correctly, and will soon be heard by the courts. A controversy which raises questions at a time when Inter is very close to being crowned champion of Italy. For the moment, no member or employee of the Nerazzurri club is involved or targeted by the investigation, which contributes to creating a climate of serenity. Contacted by us, an employee of the Lega Serie A told us: “we are no longer in the time of half-measures. If the facts are confirmed, it will be necessary to go all the way, without protection or calculation. Italian football has already paid too much for its silences. Today, in such a fragile period, every decision must show that we have understood the lessons of the past..
But what makes this case even more disturbing is the extent of the matches now in the sights of investigators. Several matches, including Salernitana-Modena, Bologna-Inter or even the derby between Inter and AC Milan in the Coppa, are analyzed under a new prism. Arbitration decisions, once perceived as simple human errors, now take on a potentially systemic dimension. Inter, for its part, refuses to comment and displays a position mixing disbelief and bitterness, recalling that it itself suffered unfavorable decisions, notably during the defeat in Bologna or during the derby. The Italian federation’s prosecutor’s office has already requested access to the investigation documents, leaving open the possibility of a reopening of files and new investigations into designations deemed suspicious. According to the prosecutor, there was a meeting in San Siro on April 2, 2025 between Rocchi and other unidentified people. The objective was to choose referees favorable to Inter for the following matches. In the shadows, a question persists, almost obsessive: were decisions agreed upon during this famous meeting at San Siro? And above all, how far back can this affair go? Because the past has taught us one thing, scandals are never isolated in Italian football and are often symptoms of a system that is larger, deeper, and infinitely more fragile than it seems.
