How Inter reacted to Rocchi sporting fraud allegations | OneFootball

Refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi is under investigation following allegations of sporting fraud, partly due to his selection of referees that ‘favoured’ Inter in 2024-25, but the Nerazzurri are not expected to make any immediate public comment on the matter according to the latest updates.

The latest refereeing scandal in Serie A erupted on Saturday when it was announced that Rocchi is under investigation for sporting fraud.

Reports in Italy suggest that Rocchi worked to remove referee Daniele Doveri from the Serie A match between Bologna and Inter on April 20, 2025 as Doveri was not considered a favourable referee for the Nerazzurri. Andrea Colombo was given the Bologna vs. Inter match instead and Doveri was ‘re-routed’ to the Inter vs. Milan Coppa Italia semi-final second leg a few days later on April 23, 2025.

It has been claimed that Rocchi made the decision to take Doveri off the Bologna vs. Inter Serie A match while he was in San Siro for the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on April 2, supposedly agreeing to take Rocchi off matches that were considered the ‘most important’ to Inter.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – APRIL 20: Referee Andrea Colombo shows a red card to Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, during the Serie A match between Bologna and FC Internazionale at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on April 20, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Rocchi is also facing allegations that he swayed a VAR decision by banging on the window of the VAR booth and urging Daniele Parerna to recommend an on-field review for a penalty during a Serie A match between Udinese and Parma on March 1, 2025.

How have Inter reacted to Rocchi fraud allegations?

According to Sunday’s reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have been left perplexed by the allegations brought against Rocchi.

PARMA, ITALY – APRIL 05: Giuseppe Marotta Chairman of FC Internazionale looks on prior to the Serie A match between Parma and FC Internazionale at Stadio Ennio Tardini on April 05, 2025 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

The Nerazzurri senior management met on Saturday to discuss the allegations and how it impacts the team, but Sunday’s report claims that they decided against releasing a formal statement on the matter. Inter’s directors are not expected to speak to the media on Sunday either, as they do not consider it the ‘right time’ to delve into the issue without a full understanding of the facts.

Internally, Inter are said to be ‘appalled’ by the developing scandal, but at the same time, they are hoping to stay calm and keep their players focused on winning the 2025-26 Scudetto.

The club are said to be annoyed by the fact that Alessandro Bastoni’s name is being dragged through the mud again: His elbow on Hellas Verona’s Ondrej Duda in a match on January 6, 2024, has been cast under the spotlight again.

FLORENCE, ITALY – OCTOBER 08: Alessandro Bastoni of Italy looks on prior to the Italy training session at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on October 08, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Inter are also said to have ‘doubts’ about the allegations brought against Rocchi, especially the suggestion that he made the decision to take Doveri off the team’s matches while he was at the Stadio Meazza on April 2, 2025. The club’s stance is that a packed-out stadium on a matchday would not have been the most ideal location for a ‘top secret’ meeting.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Inter are also keen to point out that if Doveri was to be taken off the team’s most important matches, then it wouldn’t have made much sense for him to be appointed for the second leg of the cup semi-final at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Additionally, the supposed decision to take Doveri off Inter’s Serie A match against Bologna did not exactly work out in the Nerazzurri’s favour given that they went on to lose 1-0 with a different referee in charge.