World Cup Referee's 'Suspicious Hand Gesture' Sparks Controversy

Following the controversy over a Mexican individual's racism toward Koreans, there has been another issue at the World Cup stadium. Who is involved this time?

This time, a current World Cup referee is at the center of a major controversy over allegations that he made a hand gesture symbolizing white supremacy.

Australian referee Shaun Evans served as a VAR official for the match between Germany and Curaçao held on June 14 (local time).

During the introduction of the officiating crew before the match, he was broadcast looking directly into the camera while making a specific hand gesture upside down.

While the gesture is commonly used to mean "OK," it has recently become controversial as some far-right groups and white supremacist factions have adopted it as a symbol of "White Power."

Human rights organizations that monitor racism in international matches in cooperation with FIFA have argued that "there is a clear similarity to the symbols used by international far-right groups," demanding an explanation as to why he made the gesture while aware that the camera was focused on him.

They also criticized the referee, stating that he should no longer be allowed to officiate in this tournament.

In response, FIFA stated that it is aware of the matter but has not yet released any further statement, and the referee in question has not provided any explanation.

(Source: X)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.