A serious scandal is shaking Italian football after an investigation by the Milan prosecutor's office cast doubt on the operation of the VAR system and the role of referee chief Gianluca Rocchi. At the heart of the case is a video from the Udinese v Parma match in March 2025, obtained by the AGI agency. The footage shows the referees in the VAR room - Daniele Paterna and his assistant Sozza - reviewing a situation for a possible handball penalty.
At first, Paterna seemed convinced that there was no foul: "It doesn't look out of place to me, look at the position of the hand," he says. A little later, however, he abruptly turns back, as if called by someone out of frame, and asks the question: “Is it a penalty?“.
Seconds later, he contacts the head referee on the field and recommends an “on-field review“, which ultimately leads to a review of the situation.
It is this moment that raises suspicions of external interference. According to the investigation, Gianluca Rocchi – responsible for referees in Serie A and Serie B – may have put pressure on the team in the VAR room. The hypothesis is that he approached the room and knocked on the glass to attract the attention of the referees.
As a result, Rocchi has already received an official notification that he is being investigated for “complicity in sports fraud“. The case is being led by prosecutor Maurizio Aschone and covers other questionable situations from the 2024-2025 season, including a controversial moment from the Inter - Verona match.