ALBAWABA - Dutch referee Rob Dieperink died at the age of 38 weeks after being banned from participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026, held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Argentina-Egypt referee François Letexier closes Instagram account after unfair refereeing backlashThe Dutch football association (KNVB) announced Rob Dieperink's death on Monday, July 13, calling it "a great loss".
A spokesperson revealed: "It is with shock and deep sadness that we have learnt of the death of Rob Dieperink.
Dieperink, who was expected to be a video assistant referee (VAR), was dropped from the World Cup after a Croydon police investigation, as he was blocked from officiating due to the Met probe.
The Dutch referee was arrested on April 8 after accusations of sexual assault against a teenage boy. MET police and detectives probed his digital devices before the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence.
A spokesperson for the police said in a statement: "On Thursday, April 9, officers responded to a report of a sexual assault against a teenage boy, which occurred at an address in Croydon. A man in his 30s was subsequently arrested on suspicion of sexual assault."
"Officers completed a thorough investigation and reviewed all available evidence, including gathering CCTV and examining digital devices. Following these enquiries, they concluded that the evidential threshold had not been met. No further action will be taken," the spokesperson added.
