[Saba Sports News] According to Italian media reports, Gianluca Rocchi, a former top-tier referee and current referee appointment officer of the Referees’ Committee, is under investigation by prosecutors, who allege that he showed favouritism towards FC Internazionale Milano in referee assignments. Following the recent controversy, Rocchi has officially made a decision and released an official statement to Ansa, Italy’s national news agency: “In response to recent related incidents, to cooperate with the Italian Referees Association (AIA) and ensure the smooth operation of the Italian National Referees Committee, I have decided to voluntarily suspend my duties as head of the committee with immediate effect. This has been an extremely agonising and difficult decision, made after careful discussion with my family. I take this step solely to guarantee the impartial progress of the judicial investigation. I firmly believe the final inquiry will prove my innocence, and I will overcome this difficult period and regroup.I am deeply devoted to the professional body I serve and have always borne my responsibilities firmly in mind.”
The editor believes that the top priority is to safeguard the overall interests of the refereeing team, and no personal controversy shall be allowed to exert any negative impact on the core team. We can only wait for the progress of the subsequent investigation and hope that relevant matters will be clarified as soon as possible to restore the true situation of all parties involved.