Overview
- Authorities confirmed Monday that 38-year-old Rob Dieperink was found dead at his home in Borculo and the local police have completed an investigation of the residence.
- Police stated their inquiry excluded involvement by other people and withheld the cause of death for privacy reasons.
- Dieperink rose through the professional ranks from 2012, debuted in the Eredivisie in 2017, served as a VAR at Euro 2024 and the 2024 Olympics, and officiated about 284 professional matches.
- In April he was arrested in London on suspicion of assault of a minor, the prosecutor later dropped the charges for lack of evidence, yet FIFA removed him from its World Cup appointments and the KNVB temporarily sidelined him before he recently returned to referee a friendly.
- The KNVB, the municipality of Berkelland and colleagues expressed shock and condolences, and the case is likely to prompt questions about how football bodies and authorities manage allegations and referee appointments.