How Cristi Chivu, collaterally involved in the Italian prosecutors' investigation, reacts: “I'm paid for this”
Article by GSP – Published on Monday, 27 April 2026, 08:36 / Updated on Monday, 27 April 2026 08:37
Cristi Chivu, the coach of Inter, was asked on Sunday evening, at the end of the draw with Torino, score 2-2, about the investigation of the Italian prosecutors, which has in the foreground Gianluca Rocchi, the head of referees in Serie A, in the context in which Inter itself is considered the team for which Rochhi made arrangements.
He is accused by Milan prosecutors of having made some favorable delegations to Inter last season, a team that is only three points away from winning the title in Italy.
Asked about the subject, at the end of a crazy match, in which he lost two points, the Romanian technician did not want to get into polemics and elegantly refused the details, preferring to talk only about football and what he has to do at the club. Chivu's decision is natural, especially since he was not on Inter's bench in the previous season.
“I'm talking about football. I'm a coach and I'm paid to prepare for games as well as possible and convey calmness and proper motivation. At 2-0, I didn't do my job well and I take responsibility, but that doesn't change much. We're three points short and we want to finish as quickly as possible.”said Cristi Chivu, after the match, quoted by fcinternews.com.
What exactly happened in Italy
The coordinator of referees for Serie A and Serie B, Gianluca Rocchi, has suspended himself from his position after the prosecutor's office in Milan opened an investigation against him on suspicion of involvement in a sports fraud. A similar decision was later taken by the VAR supervisor, Andrea Gervasoni. The Association of Referees (AIA) informed about this on Saturday evening, through a statement.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that it will urgently convene the Presidential Committee to discuss “personnel consequences”. According to the investigation, Rocchi would have exerted pressure on the referees and would have influenced the VAR decisions. In addition, there are suspicions that, when delegating the referees, they would have chosen referees favorable to the Inter Milan club, the APA agency reported, according to sport.aktuality.sk.
Investigators are to review several matches from last season. Among them are, for example, the Serie A match between Udinese and Parma, won by Udinese thanks to a penalty, as well as the duel between Inter and Hellas Verona, where the Milanese won 2-1.
Italian sports justice also got involved in the case, with the FIGC prosecutor's office requesting the investigation files from Milan. Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has hinted at serious consequences if the allegations are confirmed.
Rocchi, 52, denied the allegations and said he had always acted correctly. According to his own words, he suspended himself so as not to disrupt the investigation. He serves as referee coordinator for both competitions from 2021.
Serie A standings
