© picture alliance / Action Plus | Nigel Owen
FIFA has been asked for clarification after video assistant referee (VAR) Shaun Evans made an inverted "OK" gesture prior to Germany's 7-1 victory over Curaçao.
The gesture sparked speculation online, as it can be interpreted both as a harmless joke and, in certain contexts, as a symbol used by the far-right.
In a harmless game that went viral online, the inverted OK sign is made with the hand below the waist. If someone looks at the hand, they get a slap on the shoulder. But in 2017, the OK sign also began to be used by the far-right to communicate among themselves. The sign was added to a list of hate symbols by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2019.
The moment that is now causing a stir was shown during the FIFA broadcast prior to the match between Germany and Curaçao, when the VAR team in Dallas was briefly shown on screen.
“According to our experts, the gesture used clearly resembles an inverted OK sign that is used in global far-right circles as a ‘white power’ symbol,” said the Fare Network, the discrimination monitoring body of the world football federation FIFA and the European football federation UEFA, in a statement.
For FARE, it\s clear “that this official should not play any further role in this World Cup”: “Why would a VAR assistant use this symbol during a global football tournament when he knows the cameras are focused on him?”
Following the incident, the way VAR officials are shown on screen changed: VAR officials are now shown looking at their monitors instead of posing for the camera. According to the BBC., FIFA has not yet issued a public statement, but has reportedly launched an investigation.
Shaun Evans, 38, has been on FIFA’s list of referees since 2017. He is an experienced VAR referee who officiated matches during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Picture: © picture alliance / Action Plus | Nigel Owen