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4w ago

Dutch VAR Official Rob Dieperink Dies at 38

The lack of a disclosed cause of death deepens questions about a prior London inquiry and his removal from FIFA's World Cup list.

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Overview

  • The Royal Netherlands Football Association confirmed Dieperink's death on Monday, July 13, and described the news as shocking while offering condolences to his family and colleagues.
  • Authorities have not released a cause or detailed circumstances of death and several reports say his body was found at his home with police declining to publish further details for privacy reasons.
  • Dieperink was detained in London in April after the Crystal Palace v Fiorentina Conference League match over allegations involving a 17-year-old, and the Metropolitan Police later closed the inquiry saying the available evidence did not meet the threshold for further action.
  • FIFA removed Dieperink from its list of VAR officials for the 2026 World Cup in May, a step he publicly disputed while denying the accusations and saying he had cooperated with investigators.
  • Dieperink was an experienced international VAR and AVAR who worked at Euro 2024, the Paris Olympics and as AVAR in the 2024 Europa League final, and his death has prompted condolences and renewed attention on refereeing vetting and reputational impacts.