Australian referee Shaun Evans became a topic on social media after appearing on the broadcast before the match between Germany and Curaçao, valid for the first round of group E of the World Cup. As soon as the camera pans to the video booth to introduce the VAR team, the supervisor appears to make an “Okay” sign with his right hand, a symbol that is associated with white supremacy.
With the tips of his index finger and thumb together, the judge suddenly stretches out the other fingers of his hand. The gesture is linked to the racist movement in countries experiencing the growth of the extreme right.
The three outstretched fingers symbolize the letter “w”, which would be a reference to the English word “white”. The circle formed by the index finger and thumb together with the other outstretched fingers represents the letter “p”, which would represent the word “power”. That’s why the symbol is pointed out as an attempt to indicate the sign of “white power”.
Researchers who study far-right symbolism claim that the gesture has been used as a coded message so that members of racist groups can identify each other without necessarily exposing themselves — precisely because the symbol can pass by those who do not recognize the sign as a simple “ok”, even out of context.
The Anti-Defamation League, an American body that monitors hate crimes, states, however, that it should not always be assumed that anyone making this gesture is making reference to white supremacy.
Shaun Evans has over 20 years’ experience and is considered one of Australia’s most respected referees. He was named new referee of the year by the Australian Football Federation in 2007, referee of the year in 2010 also by the federation and Australian football referee of the year in the 2018-19 season. He debuted in World Cups as a VAR in 2022.
When contacted by the report, FIFA (International Football Federation) did not respond until the publication of this text.
