FIFA’s anti-discrimination monitoring partner has called for the FIFA World Cup’s video review official to be sacked after he appeared to make a hand gesture resembling a symbol associated with white supremacist groups.The issue came to light during Germany’s opening match against Curacao on Sunday when the official broadcast briefly showed the team of video review analysts working from the FIFA World Cup Broadcast Center in Dallas. During the clip, Australian official Shaun Evans appeared to make an “OK” sign with his right hand in front of his right leg.Although the game was played in Houston, all video review officials work out of Dallas during the tournament.The gesture, in which the thumb and index finger form a circle while the remaining fingers are extended, is traditionally used to mean “OK.” However, in recent years it has also been linked to white power symbolism. In 2019, the New York-based Anti-Defamation League classified the gesture as a symbol of hate.Fare, which works with FIFA and UEFA to monitor racist and discriminatory behavior at international football matches, said the gesture raised concerns.
The organization said in a statement: “Our expert advice is that the gesture used clearly resembles the upside-down “OK” hand symbol used as a “white power” symbol in global far-right circles.”“It is clear that this official should not play any further role in the World Cup,” Wehr added, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi.”The organization also wondered why the official made this gesture while appearing on television.He asked: “Why would a VAR supervisor use this symbol at a global football event at the same moment he knows the cameras are on him?” He said the fare. “We note that in the following two matches, the TV directors appear to have stopped presenting the VAR board to the TV audience.”This gesture received wider attention after it was used by Australian racist Brenton Tarrant during his court appearance in 2019 after his arrest for the shooting attack on two mosques in New Zealand that killed 50 people.Evans is one of 30 video review analysts selected by FIFA to work at the World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. No immediate response was reported from FIFA regarding Fire’s request.