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Rob Dieperink, a Dutch football referee who had been selected as a Video Assistant Referee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has died at the age of 38. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) confirmed his death on July 13, describing the event as shocking.
His death came weeks after FIFA removed him from its World Cup officials list, a decision made around May 15-17 despite a UK police investigation into sexual assault allegations being closed without any charges filed.
What happened
Dieperink had been officiating in the Dutch Eredivisie since 2017. He was arrested in London on April 9, the same day he officiated the Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina match, by the Metropolitan Police on allegations of sexual assault involving a minor.
By mid-May, the investigation was closed. No charges were filed. Dieperink maintained his innocence throughout and said he fully cooperated with authorities.
But FIFA went ahead and pulled him from the World Cup roster anyway. Dieperink described the outcome as devastating, calling the allegations false and expressing deep sadness over what had happened to his career.
Dutch police have launched an inquiry following the discovery of his body, though no specific cause of death has been disclosed. The KNVB expressed shock and sadness, reflecting on the tragic sequence of events that impacted both his professional and personal life.
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