FIFA clears World Cup referee accused of making white supremacist gesture
FIFA's Disciplinary Committee found no evidence that Australian referee Shaun Evans breached its code of conduct after being accused of making a white supremacist hand gesture during a match.
FIFA has stated it found no evidence that a World Cup referee breached its code of conduct after being accused of making a white supremacist hand gesture during one of the games.
"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," football's global governing body told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement on Monday.
Earlier, FIFA's discrimination monitor at the World Cup called for Evans to be removed for appearing to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign. When the official broadcast of Germany's opening game against Curacao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts, Australian official Evans made an "OK" symbol with his right hand.
Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre.
Evans said the hand gesture was not intentional, nor did he make it to "communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind". "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," the official said in a statement. He added that later images showed he repeated the movement while holding a pen.
"The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am. 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 stated.
