Dutch football referee Rob Dieperink has died at age 38, weeks after being dropped from officiating at the World Cup following a police investigation in the UK. Dieperink had been selected as a VAR official for the tournament but was removed from FIFA's list in May. He was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in April following a report of sexual assault against a teenage boy, but the case was dropped due to lack of evidence. His cause of death has not been disclosed. The Netherlands' football association (KNVB) said they were "shocked and deeply saddened" by his death, calling him a "highly valued referee" and "kind and dedicated colleague." Dieperink had refereed in the Eredivisie since 2017 and was a VAR official at Euro 2024. After being dropped from the World Cup, he told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that he had been "wrongly accused" and was disappointed by FIFA's decision.
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