FIFA clears Shaun Evans of 'white power' gesture
Sofía Martínez
— · 2 min read
FIFA has released Shaun Evans from the middle of a controversy in which he was accused of making "white power" gestures. Evans described this involuntary gesture as an 'involuntary, subliminal twitch'.
Prior to Germany's 7–1 win, Evans was shown making this hand gesture for several seconds when coverage of the match cut to the video referee's studio.
This gesture, in which the thumb and forefinger touch each other while other limbs are excited, has historically been understood to mean "OK."
However, in recent years, it has been used as a sign of 'white power', with the remaining three limbs forming the 'W' sign and the thumb and forefinger representing the 'P'.
Opposition watchdog Fare Network, which specializes in challenging inequalities in football, said on Sunday that its experts' message was that Evans' gesture was "clearly an inverted 'OK' hand sign used in South African clubs around the world."
FIFA initially claimed to be aware of the incident but declined to comment further. Now, it has determined that Evans' gesture was not a breach of its code of conduct.
Evans released a statement on Monday saying: "I want to be clear that I did not intentionally make the hand gesture to convey any message or belief."
"My only explanation is that the hilot was an unintentional, intentional twitch and I was beyond understanding at the time."
"The coverage after this incident just doesn't reflect who I am."
Evans, who turned professional in 2016, has competed in Australia's A-League since 2008 and has officiated over 200 matches.
