Inter's referee manager Giorgio Schenone was heard as a witness by Milan Prosecutor Maurizio Ascione on Friday. The hearing is part of a widening probe into alleged sports fraud, with investigators looking at VAR influence, referee appointments and what was said about Inter's preferences.
Five people are under investigation, and none are from Serie A or Serie B clubs. That matters because the case is not being framed as a standard league disciplinary matter. It is a criminal probe, and it is still moving, with further hearings expected between Monday and Tuesday next week.
What investigators are looking at
The centre of the report is an April 2, 2025 meeting at San Siro. Investigators are examining that meeting in connection with alleged referee choices for Bologna in Serie A and Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinal second leg. They are also trying to establish whether referee preferences were communicated to Gianluca Rocchi.
Rocchi is quoted in a wiretap saying: “They no longer want to see him [a referee] anymore.” That line is being read inside the probe as part of the wider discussion over who wanted which officials and why, but the source material does not present a proven conclusion on what followed.
Schenone's own defence, as reported, is straightforward: “He had always dealt exclusively with refereeing matters.” That is the line Inter are leaning on as his hearing becomes part of the story.
Why the club's position makes the story bigger
This is not landing around a side fighting in midtable. Inter are top of Serie A on 82 points from 35 matches, with a +51 goal difference and a 26-4-5 league record. When a refereeing probe touches the team in that position, it carries obvious weight.
Inter also say Daniele Doveri officiated their matches six times in the 2024-25 season. That detail is one reason the report has widened beyond a single hearing and into a broader question about how appointments and preferences were handled.
The one point that should be kept clean is the one the brief is careful about: Schenone was heard only as a witness. He is not being presented as one of the five people under investigation, and the April 2 meeting remains under examination rather than proven wrongdoing. What happens at the next hearings will matter more than the noise around them, and those sessions are expected next week.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
