FIFA clears World Cup VAR judge for alleged racist gesture; understand the controversy

Screenshot from FIFA broadcast shows Shaun Evans' 'reverse OK' gesture, left
Screenshot/BBC
Video assistant referee (VAR) Shaun Evans said the "OK" gesture he made with his hand was "an involuntary and subconscious movement" after being cleared by a FIFA World Cup investigation.
Evans said he had "no awareness" of making the movement and denied having "intentionally" attempted to "communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind".
The Australian was seen making an inverted "OK" sign with the fingers of his right hand as FIFA displayed an image of the VAR team at the refereeing center in Dallas, United States, before Germany's 7-1 victory over Curaçao on Sunday.
Such a gesture has two very distinct meanings: one harmless and the other linked to an expression of supremacy white.
Fifa, world football's highest institution, said, after investigating the case, that it found "no evidence of violations of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."
The incident was immediately the subject of much speculation on social media.
"The coverage that followed this incident simply does not reflect who I am," said Evans, in a statement released by FIFA. "I of course understand how the gesture was interpreted and I regret that, but I want to make it very clear and categorically state that I did not make the suggested gesture consciously or deliberately."
Evans remains available to work for the remainder of the tournament.
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'There is no evidence of breaches of FIFA's disciplinary code'
FIFA issued a brief statement confirming that an investigation had been carried out, but that the The referee would face no punishment.
Evans, 38, explained that video footage from the VAR room proved he made involuntary movements.
"Footage captured later during the match showed that I repeated this movement several times whilst holding a pen between my fingers," he said.
The Professional Football Referees Association (PFRA) of Australia said it welcomed the outcome of FIFA's investigation.
"Shaun has always represented the values expected of a football referee: professionalism, respect and integrity," it said in a statement.
"We acknowledge Shaun's statement, in which he addressed the matter directly, and recognize the importance of fairness, context and due process when concerns are raised. the referee and the rest of his team walk to the sideline and a graphic is displayed with their names and roles. The image then cuts to the VAR team in the refereeing centre.
Instead of showing them working and looking at their monitors, they also briefly pose for the camera as their names appear on the screen.
When the camera cut to the VAR room on Sunday, Evans was standing with his arm at his side, and could then be seen making an inverted "OK" sign with the fingers of his right hand.
There has been a notable change in the approach to pre-match rituals after the match between Germany and Curaçao.
When the VAR control panel was displayed in subsequent matches, the referees were already facing the monitors. We no longer see them looking at the camera, although their names are still displayed.
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What are some of the possible meanings of an upside-down 'OK'?
The gesture made by Evans is very similar to the one used in the circle game, a game that gained prominence in the American sitcom Life is Unjust (Malcolm in the Middle) and became a meme in the internet.
An inverted "OK" sign is made with the hand below the waist. If someone else looks at the hand, they get punched in the shoulder.
But in 2017, it also began to be used by the far right to communicate. The sign was added to a list of hate symbols by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2019.
The ADL claims that the "OK" symbol has become a "popular provocation tactic" by "right-wing individuals, who frequently post photos on social media posing while making the gesture".
Filipe Martins appears in a video making a gesture considered discriminatory.
TV Senado/Reproduction
It was the same gesture used by Filipe Martins, who worked as an international affairs advisor to former president Jair Bolsonaro, during a session in the Senate in 2021. The case caused a stir at the time, although Martins declared that he had no discriminatory intention.
The anti-discrimination network Fare, which works in partnership with FIFA and UEFA to combat racism, had asked FIFA to act before Monday night's statements.
"The opinion of our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an inverted 'OK' sign, used as a symbol of 'white power' in global far-right circles," Fare said.
BBC Sport understands that anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out has written to FIFA requesting clarification on the gesture.
Evans, 38, has been on FIFA's list of referees since 2017. He is an experienced video referee, who was also assigned to referee the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. In his home country, Evans has served as a referee in the Australian A-League since 2012 and refereed the Grand Final in 2019.
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Source: G1