Several international referees from Italy have found themselves facing sanctions due to tax violations related to income from UEFA for matches played between 2018 and 2022. Among those implicated are Gianluca Rocchi, the current head of refereeing for Serie A and B, and Daniele Orsato, who retired from officiating in August this year.
According to La Repubblica, in the spring of 2023, the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) reported that approximately 50 international referees failed to declare their UEFA income to tax authorities. The minimum payment for officiating games across various European countries is set at €8,000 per match. After receiving the list of referees from the Italian Referees Association (AIA), the investigation extended to regional teams for cross-checking purposes. This scrutiny affected not only football referees but also futsal officials, VAR referees, and their assistants (AVAR). Journalists have pointed out that the level of tax evasion appears to be significant: many referees declared incomes that did not exceed €100,000 — the threshold at which criminal liability begins in Italy. Some officials reportedly funneled money to accounts abroad.
Following notifications from tax authorities, most referees opted to settle the situation by paying reduced fines. Gianluca Rocchi commented: "I did not do this intentionally. All issues have been resolved; it was a misunderstanding." His lawyer, Roberto Cordeiro Guerra, added: "It was an error due to unclear regulations. My client promptly sought to rectify the situation through what is termed operational repentance." Daniele Orsato has not made any comments. In the meantime, the Prosecutor's Office of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) may open a disciplinary case that could lead to serious sanctions.
Source: Footboom
