A member of the VAR team at Germany – Curacao made a gesture with his right hand. It was unclear what he meant, but now he says: “It was a twitch.”
FIFA sent Sportschau a statement from referee Shaun Evans. In it he states that he “not intentionally a hand gesture or symbol” have shown. “The only explanation I have is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was not aware that I was doing it at the time. Footage taken later during the game showed me repeating the movement several times while holding a pen between my fingers.”
In the so-called “Weltbild”, i.e. the material produced by FIFA for the live broadcast, the VAR team was shown before the game on Sunday between Germany and Curacao. Evans – assistant video assistant – formed his index finger and thumb into a circle and spread the other fingers apart (the action can be seen in the video above). Evans was also used as VAR at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In subsequent games, the video assistants looked at the screens before games when they were shown before kick-off.
Right-wing extremist gesture? “The reporting does not reflect who I am”
The question was whether Evans’ action could be interpreted as a “white power” gesture. The term emerged as a provocative slogan against the “Black Power” slogan of the black civil rights movement. It is based on the racist view of the dominance of the “white race”. While the thumb and index finger form the “P”, the other three fingers should form the “W”.
“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am. Of course, I understand how the gesture was interpreted and I regret this.”said Evans, according to FIFA. “However, I would like to make it unequivocally and categorically clear that I did not knowingly or intentionally show the hand signal in question. Refereeing at the World Cup is the greatest honor of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues as the tournament progresses.”
However, the history of the gesture is different: Basically, it always indicates that something is “okay”. In diving, the gesture underwater is therefore an indication that “everything OK” is. It is also the basis for a schoolyard game. Evans shared that he neither “a message, an affiliation, a game, or a belief of some kind” wanted to mediate.
It is only since 2017 that the gesture has been attributed a possible racist background. What initially began as a joke in an internet forum, right-wing politicians and personalities in the media established as a right-wing extremist greeting.
Referee Shaun Evans in action (September 2024)
Anti-discrimination network criticizes
The anti-discrimination network Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) called for consequences. “A global television audience should not be confronted with far-right figures using neo-Nazi symbols while preparing to watch a match. It is clear that this official should have no further role in this World Cup.”it said in a statement.
The human rights organization Anti-Defamation League from the USA, however, initially sees the gesture as harmless. “It cannot automatically be assumed that someone who uses this symbol is using it in a racist or, in particular, right-wing extremist context, unless there is other evidence to support this claim.”writes the organization. Because of the traditional meaning “Don’t jump to conclusions about a person’s intent” be drawn.