The head of refereeing for Italy's top professional football league is facing a criminal investigation on allegations of conspiring in match-fixing.
According to Britain's BBC and other outlets on Wednesday (local time), Gianluca Rocchi, a former international referee who chairs the committee, has become the target of a Milan prosecutors' investigation on charges of conspiring to commit sports fraud during the 2024-2025 season.
The Italian Referees' Association (AIA) said in a statement that Rocchi had decided to suspend himself from his duties following the launch of the prosecutors' investigation.
Andrea Gervasoni, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) supervisor for Serie A and Serie B, who is also under investigation on the same charges, announced that he would step down from his duties alongside Rocchi.
Prosecutors are examining whether he exerted behind-the-scenes influence to assign specific referees preferred by Inter Milan to matches.
Also under investigation is the suspicion that VAR was allowed not to intervene after an Inter Milan player struck an opposing player with an elbow.
In Italy, sports fraud is a serious crime subject to criminal penalties, and those convicted can face up to six years in prison.
In a statement released through the AIA, Rocchi said, "This is to ensure that judicial proceedings can proceed smoothly, and I am confident that I will prove my innocence through this process and return stronger."
