Fifa clears VAR official Shaun Evans over hand gesture claims
Fifa’s disciplinary committee has cleared World Cup VAR official Shaun Evans following claims he made a white supremacist hand gesture. The Australian referee faced a probe after making an “OK” symbol during Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao on Sunday, reports BritPanorama.
No evidence was found that Evans had violated Fifa’s ethics code. “Fifa’s independent disciplinary committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the Fifa disciplinary code,” the governing body said.
Evans himself released a statement on Monday evening confirming he was unaware of making any kind of “racist” sign. “I would like to clarify that I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind,” Evans said. “The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time. Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers.”
The VAR referee acknowledged the potential misinterpretation of the gesture. “The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” he added. Evans stated that working at the World Cup was his career’s greatest honour and confirmed his intention to continue supporting his colleagues throughout the tournament.
Critics had claimed Evans executed the gesture purposefully, especially after footage emerged showing him curling his thumb and forefinger together in front of his right leg. The Anti-Defamation League classified this “OK” sign as a “hate symbol” in 2019, with anti-racism groups asserting that it can denote “white power.”
Following the incident, the anti-discrimination organisation Fare demanded Evans’s removal from the tournament altogether. The group expressed that “advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a white power symbol in global far-right circles.” They added that this official should have no further role in the World Cup. Subsequently, TV directors appeared to have stopped introducing VAR panels to audiences in the two matches following the incident.
In complex scenarios like these, the line between intent and perception can often blur, bringing unintended scrutiny to those under the spotlight. Evans’s experience serves as a poignant reminder of how easily sport and symbols can intertwine, reshaping narratives far beyond the pitch.
