Fifa urged to remove World Cup official over 'white supremacy' gesture

The Incident Involving Shaun Evans

Fifa's discrimination monitor at the World Cup called for a video assistant referee (VAR) 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 Curaçao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of VAR officials, Shaun Evans from Australia made an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg.

The Gesture and Its Implications

“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, a longtime partner of Fifa and Uefa, the European football governing body, to monitor racist and discriminatory chants, flags and symbols at international games, said in a statement.

“Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup,” Fare said in a statement, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi.”

The Data Analysis

• Shaun Evans is among 30 VAR officials selected by Fifa to work at the World Cup being played in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• The gesture was designated a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League in 2019.

The Impact Analysis

The incident has raised concerns about racism and discrimination in football, and Fifa was asked for comment. In Australia, the Professional Football Referees Association and the governing body Football Australia were contacted for comment.

It was unclear if Evans, working at his first game at the World Cup, was making a political gesture or playing a children’s game prank.

The Prediction

“Why is a VAR supervisor using this symbol at a global football event at the very moment he knows the cameras are on him?” Fare said. “We note that in the two subsequent games it appears TV directors have stopped introducing the VAR panel to the TV audience.”