Inter referee liaison identified in Rocchi wiretap report
Quick summary
Italian media reports say Inter's club referee manager Giorgio Schenone is the figure referenced in a wiretapped call involving refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi. The report links Schenone to discussion over referee assignments for Inter matches, though he is not currently under formal investigation.
Full article
Attributed to Football ItaliaReports 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 MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 14: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of Inter, reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Atalanta BC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) 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.
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Referee Daniele Doveri at the end of the Serie A match between AC Milan and Inter at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) 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.
AIA chief Gianluca Rocchi (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) 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.
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What happened
Football Italia, citing Repubblica, reports that Inter club referee manager Giorgio Schenone has been identified as the person mentioned in a wiretapped call involving AIA refereeing chief Gianluca Rocchi. Investigators are examining allegations that Rocchi helped remove referee Daniele Doveri from key Inter fixtures in April 2025 and favored Andrea Colombo instead. The call was reportedly intercepted around the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg between Inter and Milan on April 2, 2025. Schenone was mentioned in the call but was apparently not directly on it, and the article states he is not currently under formal investigation. The story mainly raises governance and integrity questions rather than confirming any immediate sporting sanction.
Chance analysis
This matters more for institutional and disciplinary risk than for direct football performance. Unless the investigation produces sanctions, suspensions, or official action against Inter, the near-term effect on team strength and match outcomes is limited. For football models, it is a reputational and oversight signal rather than a clear on-pitch adjustment.
Likely short-term effect is negative reputational pressure on Inter, with limited immediate impact on match performance.
Treat this as a governance/disciplinary context flag, not a direct performance signal, unless formal sanctions or team-level consequences follow.