Overview
- Milan prosecutors opened a criminal case naming referees’ chief Gianluca Rocchi over alleged sporting fraud linked to VAR, the video system that can ask a referee to conduct an on-field review.
- Footage from the Udinese–Parma review room shows VAR official Daniele Paterna looking off camera, mouthing “Is it a penalty?”, then switching to advise an on-field review that produced a penalty.
- Investigators are assessing whether an outside knock on the VAR room glass triggered that shift in judgment.
- Paterna was summoned to testify, and the magistrate cut short his deposition and accused him of false testimony after viewing the video.
- As a comparison case, prosecutors are also studying Inter–Hellas Verona, where a possible punch by Alessandro Bastoni was checked on video without sending the referee to the monitor.