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Gesture, clearance, context
Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans denied intentionally making a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign, saying it was “an involuntary, subconscious twitch” after FIFA cleared him of any breach of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
Evans was seen making an upside down “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg during official broadcast coverage of Germany’s opening World Cup game against Curacao on Sunday, a match that ended 7-1 for Germany.
FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee said it had found “no evidence of breaches of the Fifa Disciplinary Code,” and the BBC reported Evans was available for selection for the rest of the tournament.
The BBC also described how pre-match shots changed after the Germany-Curacao game, with VAR officials in subsequent matches facing their monitors rather than posing toward the camera when the feed cut to the VAR hub in Dallas.
Fare and FIFA dispute
The Fare network called for Evans to be removed, with its statement saying “Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup,” and describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi.”
Evans responded in a FIFA-issued statement, saying “I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind,” and the BBC reported he was “unaware” of making the movement.
The Seattle Times reported that FIFA’s discrimination monitor had called for Shaun Evans to be removed from the tournament, while FIFA’s disciplinary committee concluded he didn’t breach the sport’s disciplinary code.
The Independent framed the episode as an urgent demand for FIFA to act, noting that after investigation Evans was cleared and that FIFA said there was “no evidence of breaches of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.”
What happens next
The controversy centered on the upside down “OK” gesture, which the BBC said has “two very distinct meanings” and was added to a list of hate symbols by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2019.
“- Published Video assistant referee Shaun Evans says an 'OK' sign hand gesture was "an involuntary, subconscious twitch" after he was cleared by a Fifa investigation”
The BBC reported that after the Germany-Curacao incident, “a noticeable change in approach” followed in pre-match rituals, with VAR officials no longer shown looking at the camera in the VAR hub shots for subsequent games.
In the same period, the BBC said anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out had written to Fifa seeking clarification about the gesture, while Evans insisted “Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honour of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament.”
Sky Sports reported that FIFA sought answers from Evans about why he made the gesture and then said it had found “no evidence of breaches of the Fifa Disciplinary Code,” leaving the dispute to continue through calls from Fare and other bodies for further action.
