27.04.2026 22:31
Italian football has been shaken to its core. A secret infiltration into the VAR center and a special hand-signal code system with referees has come to light through an ongoing investigation. Here are the details of the news...
It has been discovered that an unauthorized person secretly entered the high-security center located in the city of Lissone, Italy, where VAR management for Serie A and Serie B matches is conducted.
THE INCIDENT THAT SHOOK ITALIAN FOOTBALL
According to La Repubblica, this person was identified as Gianluca Rocchi, the senior executive responsible for referee appointments in Italy. Since every moment in the VAR room is recorded and communication between referees and the outside world is prohibited, it was understood that an interesting method was developed to manipulate decisions.
SECRET HAND CODES: 'INTERVENE' OR 'DON'T INTERVENE'
According to the allegation, Rocchi established secret hand codes with VAR referees. In this system, an open hand means 'Do not intervene in the situation, do not call the center referee,' while a clenched fist means 'Intervene in the situation, invite the referee to the monitor.'
CONCRETE EVIDENCE: UDINESE-PARMA MATCH
The most striking example in the investigation file was the Udinese-Parma match played on March 1, 2025. It was alleged that VAR referee Daniele Paterna initially stated there was no need to award a penalty in favor of Udinese, but after Rocchi's physical intervention and signals, he suddenly changed his decision and called the center referee to the monitor. An examination using lip-reading techniques determined that Paterna used phrases allegedly intended to manipulate the center referee.
DETENTIONS AND DISMISSALS
Shocking decisions were made as part of the investigation initiated by the Milan Prosecutor's Office. Referee appointment supervisor Gianluca Rocchi was suspended from duty and detained on charges of 'sports fraud.' Andrea Gervasoni, one of the former supervisors of the VAR system, was also among those removed from their positions. It is still being investigated whether this scandal, which deeply shook Italian football, affected the outcomes of many matches in the league.