Former referee Daniele Minelli has voiced serious concerns, providing further details on the ongoing refereeing scandal. He asserts that officiating mistakes have “multiplied at an alarming rate” since a complaint was lodged last year against referee designator Gianluca Rocchi.
Rocchi, who oversees referees in Serie A and Serie B, is currently under investigation for suspected involvement in sporting fraud, a grave accusation not even leveled during the notorious Calciopoli scandal.
The controversy originated in May 2025 when former assistant referee Domenico Rocca submitted a letter of complaint to the Italian Referees’ Association (AIA) concerning Rocchi.
The Italian Football Federation’s (FIGC) prosecutor, Giuseppe Chine, confirmed the matter was investigated and closed last year. However, it has now come under scrutiny by the public prosecutor’s office in Milan due to potential criminal implications.
The investigation centers on an incident during the Serie A match between Udinese and Parma on March 1, 2025. During a VAR review for a potential penalty, VAR official Daniele Paterna initially appeared inclined to disallow the penalty. However, footage suggests Paterna looked back, seemingly communicated with someone behind him, and asked, “Is it a penalty?” This has led to accusations that VAR decisions were being influenced by external parties.
Italian reports indicate that several other incidents are under review, including referee Daniele Doveri being reportedly sidelined from certain Inter Milan matches late in the 2024-25 season, as he was not deemed a “favorable” choice for the club.
Minelli Offers More Details and Allegations in Refereeing Scandal
Speaking to news agency AGI, former referee Minelli, who officiated primarily in Serie B with a few Serie A appearances, stated that interference within the VAR room was common knowledge among officials.
He explained that referees whose errors were corrected by VAR received higher ratings, increasing their chances of officiating significant matches. Conversely, those whose mistakes were not rectified saw their rankings drop, and in some cases, might not have been compensated.
“The knocks (on the VAR room glass)? People talked about it, and it was well-known that the protocol didn’t allow it,” Minelli commented.
He elaborated, “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 alleges that referee designator Rocchi and his assistants influenced specific VAR calls. However, he notes that these instances have significantly decreased since Rocca’s complaint last year, which, he claims, has paradoxically led to an increase in refereeing errors.
“Ever since Rocchi and his assistants stopped showing up in Lissone, because the federation required the federal prosecutor to 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 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.”
