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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 10: Referee Gianluca Rocchi reacts during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona at Old Trafford on April 10, 2019 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Reports suggest Inter club referee manager Giorgio Schenone is the man who designator Gianluca Rocchi mentioned when assigning officials more favoured by the team in April 2025.
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Serie A and B refereeing designator Rocchi was one of five individuals from the AIA (Italian Association of Referees) under investigation with the most serious accusation being sporting fraud.
The investigators claimed that Rocchi had in April 2025 colluded with someone to remove Daniele Doveri from Inter’s big games in the closing stages of the season, because the club did not favour his presence, and instead picked Andrea Colombo.
Why Inter club referee manager is important
It was until now not clear who he was meant to have colluded with or why he believed Inter did not want Doveri, seeing as nobody from the club was under investigation.
According to Repubblica newspaper, the figure has now been identified as Inter’s club referee manager Schenone, who was an assistant referee from 2009 to 2020, then after retirement began working with the Nerazzurri.
He was mentioned during Rocchi’s telephone call which was wiretapped during the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final between Inter and Milan at San Siro on April 2, 2025.
It was during this call that Rocchi reportedly mentioned who Inter would prefer not be assigned to their games.
Although mentioned in this phone call by Rocchi, the call itself was apparently not directly with Schenone, and he is not as of now under formal investigation.
The job of the club referee manager is to co-ordinate with the referees for each home game, accompany them to the locker rooms, ensure all their needs are met.
They also speak to the players before matches, outlining the style of officiating they are likely to get, explaining the changes to the interpretation of certain rules.
It is not unusual for these figures to also discuss previous refereeing performances and decisions with the AIA.
