Dutch official removed from WC dies

AMSTERDAM: Dutch referee Rob ⁠Dieperink has died at the age of 38, two months ​after he was ​dropped from the panel of match officials for the 2026 World Cup following a police case in Britain that was later dropped.
No cause of death has been revealed.
'We are shocked and deeply saddened ⁠by the passing of Rob Dieperink. With Rob, ⁠we lose a highly valued referee, but above all a kind and dedicated colleague,' the Dutch football association said in a ‌statement.
Dieperink had been selected as part ​of the video ⁠assistant referee (VAR) panel at the World ​Cup, but was removed in ‌May after he had been arrested the previous month by the Metropolitan Police.
He ​had been in London to officiate in the Conference League fixture between Crystal Palace and Fiorentina. The case was dropped due to a lack of evidence.
'It saddens me greatly that I ‌have been wrongly accused,' Dieperink said in an interview ​with De Telegraaf.
'I am grateful for the ​support I have received from the KNVB ⁠and the ​way in which they have dealt with this case. It is a pity that Fifa has decided not to appoint me for the World Cup anymore, of ​course, I am disappointed about that.'
Dieperink had officiated ​in the Dutch Eredivisie since 2017 and was a VAR official at the 2024 European Championship. — Reuters