Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Shaun Evans VAR gesture concerns have led FIFA’s discrimination monitor to call for the Australian video review official to be removed from the FIFA World Cup.
The incident happened before Germany’s opening match against Curacao on Sunday, when the broadcast showed Evans and other video review analysts working from the World Cup broadcast centre in Dallas while the game was played in Houston.
The issue comes during another busy FIFA World Cup news day, after Spain vs Cabo Verde World Cup Clash Begins as Lamine Yamal Starts on Bench drew attention to the tournament schedule. Fans can follow official updates through the FIFA website.
Fare Network Calls for Evans Removal
Evans, an A-League referee, appeared to make an upside-down “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg during the pre-game broadcast shot.
The gesture was listed as a hate symbol in 2019 by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League, though the group has said context matters when judging whether an “OK” sign is hateful or harmless.
"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 Fare network said in a statement.
"Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup," Fare added, describing the gesture as "neo-Nazi."
Context Still Unclear
Evans has not publicly commented on the matter, and it remains unclear whether the gesture was political or part of the “gotcha” or “circle game” prank.
That game involves flashing an upside-down OK sign below the waist and punching the shoulder of anyone who looks at it.
The sign was later taken up by white supremacist groups after starting as a hoax on far-right online message board 4chan.
In 2019, Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said, "there is enough of a volume of use for hateful purposes that we felt it was important to add".
FIFA was asked for comment, while Football Australia and the Professional Football Referees Association were also contacted.