Rob Dieperink (1988 – 2026)

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Rob Dieperink was a Dutch football referee employed by the KNVB who officiated matches in the Eerste Divisie and Eredivisie. He had refereed in professional football since 2011, taking charge of 284 matches, and had officiated in the Eredivisie since 2017. In April 2024, Dieperink was selected as video assistant referee (VAR) for the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. He notably served as the VAR for the 2024 Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen. He refereed his last match on 11 July 2026, during a friendly match between Go Ahead Eagles and Apollon Limassol, and was found dead in his home on 13 July 2026, at the age of 38.</bio> <parameter name="timelineEvents">[ { "date": "1988-04-18", "title": "Born in Borculo", "description": "Rob Dieperink was born in Borculo, Netherlands" }, { "date": "2011-12", "title": "Eerste Divisie debut", "description": "Made his debut in the second tier of Dutch football in a match between Telstar and Go Ahead Eagles" }, { "date": "2017-11-04", "title": "Eredivisie debut", "description": "Made his top-flight debut in a match between Excelsior and Roda JC" }, { "date": "2024-04", "title": "Euro 2024 selection", "description": "Selected as video assistant referee for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany" }, { "date": "2024", "title": "Europa League final VAR", "description": "Served as VAR for the 2024 Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen" }, { "date": "2026-04-09", "title": "Arrest in London", "description": "Arrested by Metropolitan Police following allegations of sexual assault; charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence" }, { "date": "2026-05", "title": "Dropped from World Cup", "description": "Removed from FIFA's list of officials for the 2026 World Cup" }, { "date": "2026-07-13", "title": "Death", "description": "Found dead in his home in Borculo at age 38" } ]

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Dieperink