VAR official says hand gesture was 'involuntary, subconscious twitch'
FIFA cleared VAR official Shaun Evans after investigating an 'OK' hand gesture he made during a World Cup broadcast; Evans said it was an involuntary subconscious twitch and denied any intentional meaning.
Video assistant referee Shaun Evans has stated that the hand gesture he made, which resembled an upside-down 'OK' sign, was "an involuntary, subconscious twitch." The incident occurred before Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao at the World Cup. Evans was investigated after cameras captured him forming the fingers of his right hand into an upside-down 'OK' sign, a gesture with two meanings—a harmless prank and a white supremacy symbol.
FIFA conducted an investigation and found "no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code." Evans denied intentionally making the gesture, explaining that he repeated the movement multiple times while holding a pen between his fingers. He emphasized that the speculation does not reflect his character and that he was unaware of making the gesture.
The incident sparked significant speculation on social media. Anti-discrimination group Fare called for FIFA to act, and Kick It Out wrote a letter seeking clarification. Following the game, FIFA changed the pre-match VAR hub camera shots: officials now face their monitors rather than posing for the camera.
Evans, an Australian referee since 2012, has been a VAR official at the 2022 World Cup and remains available for selection for the rest of the tournament.
