FIFA’s anti-discrimination watchdog partner Fair has called for the removal of a video review official at the FIFA World Cup after he appeared to make a hand gesture that resembles a symbol associated with white supremacist groups.The issue arose during Germany’s opening match against Courao on Sunday when the official broadcast briefly showed a team of video review analysts working from FIFA’s World Cup Broadcast Center in Dallas. During the segment, Australian official Sean Evans appeared to make an “OK” sign with his right hand in front of his right leg.Although the match was played in Houston, all video review officials are working from Dallas during the tournament.The gesture, in which the thumb and index finger form a circle while the other fingers are extended, is traditionally used to mean “OK.” However, in recent years it has also been associated with the symbol of white power. In 2019, the New York-based Anti-Defamation League classified the gesture as a hate speech.Fehr, who works with FIFA and UEFA to monitor racism and discrimination in international football matches, said the gesture raised concerns.“Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an inverted ‘OK’ hand sign used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles,” the organization said in a statement.“Obviously this official should have no further role in this World Cup,” Feir added, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi”.The organization also questioned why the official was seen making the gesture while being televised.“Why is a VAR supervisor using this symbol at a global football event when he knows there are cameras on it?” Rent said. “We note that in the two subsequent games it appears that the TV directors have stopped introducing the VAR panel to the TV audience.”Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant used it during a 2019 court appearance after his arrest for the New Zealand mosque shootings that killed 50 people.Evans is one of 30 video review analysts selected by FIFA to work at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. There was no immediate response from FIFA regarding Fer’s demand.
