The earthquake triggered by the Rocchi affair continues to shake Italian football, gradually revealing the contours of a case as complex as it is potentially explosive. The person responsible for appointing referees in Serie A, Gianluca Rocchi, is now the subject of an investigation for alleged complicity in sports fraud, led by the Milan public prosecutor’s office. At the heart of the suspicions, the supposed interventions in the arbitral appointment process and the pressures exerted around video assistance. Three specific episodes structure the accusations, notably the controversial appointment of referees during matches involving Inter, in a context of the fight for the title. The former referee strongly denies the facts, claiming to have “always acted correctly” and saying to himself “serene” facing justice, while deciding to self-suspend in order to “allow the group to work in peace”. Around him, the identity of the other people potentially involved remains unclear, a point that his lawyer judges “incomprehensible” in a matter of this nature. The dominant impression remains that of a weakened system, where each past arbitration decision is now re-examined in the light of broader suspicions, reviving the specter of a scandal with profound ramifications.
The more hours pass, the more the affair takes on a systemic dimension. The criminal investigation raises old questions, around the Udinese-Parma match, already examined by the sports justice system in 2025. At the time, no disciplinary fault had been found after a series of hearings and internal analyses. But today, new elements could reshuffle the cards. The Milan public prosecutor’s office also mentions arbitral appointments “oriented”notably those of Daniele Doveri or Andrea Colombo, suspected of having been designed in a logic favorable to Inter. In this tense climate, reactions are multiplying, oscillating between institutional defense and growing concern. In the background, the already unstable situation in Italian arbitration resurfaces, marked by tensions around the governance of the AIA and the case of Antonio Zappi, former president weakened by a heavy suspension and whose fate remains suspended in the decisions of Italian sport. At his side, the figure of Dick Schoof, mentioned behind the scenes as a symbol of institutional power struggles, illustrates a general climate where internal rivalries and chronic instability further complicate the reading of an already burning issue.
Italy clears itself of the controversy
Faced with the media coverage of the affair, the Lega Serie A quickly spoke out to try to contain the fire. Its president, Ezio Simonelli, insisted on the importance of preserving the credibility of the championship, firmly asserting that “the championship is in order” and that “no one should question it”. In a long press release, he calls for caution and respect for the judicial process, denouncing all “hasty judgment” and warning against “media lynching” likely to harm the image of Italian football. “We know nothing about the details of this case and it is our duty to act as guarantor until the final judgment”he declared, before adding that “If someone has made a mistake, they must face the consequences, but we must never question the credibility of the system or the fairness of the championship”. A clear line of defense, which aims to dissociate possible individual responsibilities from the overall integrity of Serie A, while trying to prevent the already existing arbitration crisis from transforming into a major institutional crisis. At the same time, the Italian Federation is trying to regain control through its prosecutor, Giuseppe Chiné, who has gone beyond his usual reserve to clarify the position of the sporting authorities. In a detailed statement, he denounced information “false, even fanciful”while recalling that the sports investigation opened in 2025 only concerned a single specific episode and had led to a classification without further action, due to lack of disciplinary evidence.
“We are ready to open new files”he however warned, specifying that he had already requested documents from the current criminal investigation in order to assess possible new elements. An open posture which reflects the current pressure around the issue, while the Minister of Sports, Andrea Abodi, also calls for “transparency, responsiveness and equal treatment”. In the background, the Zappi file continues to fuel uncertainties, with a possible intervention by the Olympic committee or even the appointment of a commissioner to regain control of a weakened system, at a time when the Federation is suspended on June 22 to find out its future president capable of reforming Calcio after the fiasco in Bosnia for the 2026 World Cup. If the FIGC is placed under the control of the Ministry of Sports, UEFA could well withdraw the organization of Euro 2032 and to exclude Italian clubs from European competitions. More than ever, Italian football is moving forward on a crest, torn between the need to defend its image and the obligation to shed light on an affair which could, in the long term, redefine its internal balances.
