Police forces were called to Dieperink's address in the town of Borculo. A cause of death has not been confirmed by the Dutch police, though any outside involvement has been ruled out, as per De Telegraaf.
Dieperink had been a referee in Dutch professional football since 2012 and acted as a VAR at Euro 2024 in Germany, assisting Dutch referee Danny Makkelie.
Dieperink was set to be part of Danny Makkelie's team at the 2026 World Cup, again serving as a VAR, but was withdrawn from the competition after an incident in London in May.
The referee had been detained after the match between Crystal Palace and Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League, being suspected of three offences, including an alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old minor.
London police later dropped all charges due to lack of evidence. Nevertheless, Dieperink was not included in the list of referees for the final tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, and did not receive any further assignments until the end of the season.
Dieperink spoke out about the incident in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in May, proclaiming his innocence.
"It upsets me greatly to have been wrongly accused," Dieperink said.
"From the outset, I have cooperated fully with the police investigation and have also been completely open with FIFA, UEFA and the KNVB. The allegations have been refuted and, following a thorough and proper investigation by the police, the case was dropped within two weeks.
"I am grateful for the support I have received from the KNVB and the way in which they have handled this matter. It is a pity that FIFA has decided not to appoint me for the World Cup; I am, of course, disappointed by this.”
FIFA explained his withdrawal by stating their desire to use only officials with impeccable conduct at the World Cup, and Frenchman Willy Delajod took his place on the VAR team.
KNVB was preparing his return for the new season
The KNVB had been working since June on reintegrating Dieperink into refereeing. The head of referees, Raymond van Meenen, announced that his goal was to return to the pitch after the summer break.
"This event had an extraordinary impact. He is now feeling reasonably well and we want to support him as much as possible throughout the entire process. Everything is focused on his return to the field and resuming his role as VAR after the summer," said Raymond van Meenen.
Dieperink made his debut as a referee in March 2012 and officiated nearly 100 matches in the Eredivisie. He also worked internationally as a VAR referee and was part of the teams present at EURO 2024.
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of referee Rob Dieperink. With Rob, the refereeing community loses a highly respected referee with international experience, but above all, an excellent and dedicated colleague.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who held him dear. We wish them much strength and support in coping with this great loss," said the KNVB in a statement.