Overview
- Dutch media and the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced the death of 38-year-old referee Rob Dieperink and offered condolences while no cause of death has been disclosed.
- Dieperink had been a referee in the Dutch top flight since 2017 and served as a video assistant referee (VAR) at Euro 2024, with his last recorded match on May 3, 2026.
- He was arrested in London in April 2026 after the Crystal Palace–Fiorentina match on suspicion of sexual assault of a minor and two other offences, according to reporting from Dutch outlets.
- Prosecutors later dropped all charges for lack of evidence and FIFA removed Dieperink from its 2026 World Cup officiating roster in May 2026.
- The sequence of arrest, dropped charges and his removal from the World Cup roster has prompted scrutiny of how sporting bodies balance provisional action and due process and has deep effects on colleagues and family.