World Cup VAR official Shaun Evans has denied deliberately making a controversial hand gesture during a live broadcast after FIFA cleared him of any disciplinary breach following an investigation into the incident.
The Australian referee came under scrutiny after he was seen forming an upside-down “OK” sign with his right hand while appearing on the global broadcast feed before Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao at the World Cup.
The gesture sparked widespread discussion on social media because it can be interpreted both as a harmless prank and as a symbol associated with white supremacist groups.
According to BBC, FIFA reviewed footage from the referees’ centre in Dallas and subsequently concluded that there was no evidence Evans had breached the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The decision allows him to continue serving as part of the tournament’s officiating team.
Responding to the controversy, Evans strongly rejected suggestions that he intentionally made the gesture or sought to communicate any message.
“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” Evans said in a statement.
The 38-year-old added: “Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this, however I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested.”
Evans explained that the movement was an involuntary habit rather than a deliberate act, noting that images captured later during the match showed him making similar motions while holding a pen.
“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers.
“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,” he said.
The incident also attracted the attention of anti-discrimination organisation Fare, which works alongside FIFA and UEFA on issues relating to discrimination in football.
Before FIFA announced the outcome of its investigation, Fare said: “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.”
The controversy gained further attention because the Anti-Defamation League added the symbol to its database of hate symbols in 2019 after it had been adopted as a trolling tactic by extremist groups.
Despite the public debate, FIFA’s review found no grounds for disciplinary action against Evans, bringing the matter to a close while allowing the Australian official to continue his World Cup duties.
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