Overview
- The Royal Dutch Football Association confirmed on Monday that 38-year-old Rob Dieperink has died and local police have opened an investigation after his body was found near his residence; officials have not released a cause of death.
- Dieperink had been detained in London in April over a sexual-misconduct complaint; Metropolitan Police later archived the case for lack of evidence after reviewing CCTV and electronic devices.
- Following his April detention but before the archive, FIFA removed Dieperink from its list of referees for the 2026 World Cup, and his spot was subsequently filled by French official Willy Delajod.
- The KNVB has expressed shock and offered support to Dieperink’s family and colleagues, and the federation had planned to reintegrate him into domestic assignments after the British case was closed.
- Coverage differs on whether he was found inside his home or in the street nearby, and investigators have kept details confidential, so further official updates are expected as the inquiry proceeds.