Ex-Referee claims ‘errors have multiplied at an alarming rate’ after Rocchi investigation
Former referee Daniele Minelli has brought further claims and provided more details regarding the latest refereeing scandal, and claims that errors have ‘multiplied at an alarming rate’ after a complaint about referee designator Gianluca Rocchi was brought forward last year.
Serie A and Serie B referee designator Rocchi is currently under investigation for suspected participation in sporting fraud, a particularly serious charge that wasn’t even brought against referees during the infamous Calciopoli scandal.
The matter began in May 2025 when former assistant referee Domenico Rocca sent a letter of complaint to the Italian referees’ association (AIA) regarding designator Rocchi.
FIGC prosecutor Giuseppe Chine has confirmed that the matter was investigated and later closed last year, but this is now being investigated by the public prosecutor’s office in Milan due to potential criminal relevance.
The investigation centres around an incident that occurred during the Serie A match between Udinese and Parma on March 1, 2025. During that game, there was a review for a potential penalty, which VAR official Daniele Paterna appeared inclined to rule out, however, footage shows that Paterna looked back, appeared to be talking to somebody behind him, was seen asking ‘is it a penalty?’, and this has led to claims that VAR decisions were being influenced by external figures.
Reports in Italy claim that various other incidents have been brought under review, including referee Daniele Doveri being removed from certain Inter matches at the end of the 2024-25 season, as he was not considered a ‘favourable’ choice for the Nerazzurri.
Minelli provides further details and allegations in refereeing scandal
Speaking to news agency AGI (via La Gazzetta dello Sport), former ref Minelli, who spent most of his officiating career in Serie B with a handful of outings in the top flight, claims that interference in the VAR room was a well-known thing among officials.
He also says that refs whose errors were corrected by VAR would receive a higher rating, and would therefore be more likely to appear in big matches, while those who didn’t have their mistakes corrected would drop lower down the referees’ ranking, and in some cases, might not even be paid.
“The knocks (on the glass) of the VAR room? People were talking about it and it was well known that the protocol didn’t allow it,” Minelli said.
“In the case of Udinese vs. Parma, it’s clear that if the VAR official gave a (penalty), it would affect their rating and consequently, the internal ranking that determines whether referees stay or go home, and thus, whether they receive their attendance fee or not. There could also be repercussions for the clubs in the league table.”
Minelli claims that referee designator Rocchi and his assistants affected certain calls in the VAR room, but adds that these incidents have significantly reduced after the complaint was made by Rocca last year, and as a result, mistakes by referees have increased.
“Ever since Rocchi and his assistants stopped turning up in Lissone, because the federation required that the federal prosecutor be present in the VAR room after Rocca’s complaint, refereeing errors have multiplied at an alarming rate. I don’t know if that’s the reason, but I’ve never seen as many as this year.
“If mistakes were corrected in some cases but not in others, it’s clear that this has skewed the referees’ rankings, because those whose mistakes were corrected received a positive rating, while those who weren’t received a negative one. You only need to watch the footage from the VAR room from recent years: You can hear the suggestions being made.”
