Dutch football referee Rob Dieperink has died at the age of 38, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has confirmed.
The KNVB described Dieperink as a respected referee and dedicated colleague, adding that thoughts were with his family and friends. The cause of his death has not been disclosed.
Dieperink had officiated in the Eredivisie since 2017 and was part of the VAR team during Euro 2024.
His death comes weeks after he was removed from FIFA’s list of officials for the upcoming World Cup. He had initially been selected as a video assistant referee but was dropped in May following a police investigation in London.
The investigation was linked to an April incident after he travelled to the UK for a Conference League match between Crystal Palace and Fiorentina, where he worked as VAR.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that, after reviewing available evidence, no further action would be taken because the required evidential threshold had not been met.
