Rob Dieperink is dead at 38. The Dutch referee — removed from the 2026 FIFA World Cup roster after an arrest in London, only for the case to be dropped weeks later — passed away under circumstances that Dutch authorities are still investigating.
The cause of death has not been determined. What is known is that Dieperink spent the final months of his life fighting to clear his name, doing so successfully in the eyes of the law, and still losing everything professionally as a result.
Arrested, cleared — then cut anyway
Dieperink was detained in April by the Metropolitan Police following an alleged sexual assault against a teenage boy at a London hotel, during the same weekend Crystal Palace beat ACF Fiorentina 3-0. The Met confirmed in May that the case had been dropped — "the evidential threshold had not been met" — and that no further action would be taken. The whole process took under two weeks.
FIFA didn't reinstate him.
He had been selected as a video assistant referee for the 2026 World Cup, part of the Netherlands' contingent alongside Danny Makkelie. That opportunity was gone regardless of the outcome of the police investigation. In a statement to De Telegraaf, Dieperink was unambiguous about how that felt: "It makes me very sad that I have been wrongly accused. I fully cooperated with the police investigation and also immediately gave full openness to FIFA, UEFA and the KNVB. The allegations were refuted and the case was dismissed within two weeks after an adequate and thorough investigation by the police. It is a pity that FIFA has decided not to appoint me for the World Cup. I am of course disappointed about that."
The KNVB stood by him throughout. They continued selecting him for Eredivisie fixtures — his last came on May 3, a 1-0 win for PEC Zwolle over Heracles Almelo — and issued a clear statement of support: "The police in the United Kingdom have investigated and closed the case. Rob Dieperink has cooperated fully and given openness to the KNVB from the very beginning, and based on all available information, we see no reason not to appoint him for matches in the Dutch league."
A career built quietly over nine years
Dieperink joined the Eredivisie officiating ranks in 2017 and worked his way up to the international stage, serving as a VAR official at Euro 2024 in Germany. He refereed 84 top-flight Dutch matches. He wasn't a household name — referees rarely are — but he had reached a level that takes years of consistent work to earn.
The Dutch Football Association called him "a highly valued referee with international experience" and "a fine and dedicated colleague." Those are the kinds of words that appear in statements like this. What sits behind them is a 38-year-old who made it to the top of his profession, had a World Cup taken away from him after an allegation that was never proven, and is now gone.
Dutch authorities are still investigating the circumstances of his death. No cause has been confirmed.
