VAR referee Sean Evans returns to work at the World Cup

Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans returns to World Cup duties. On June 22, he will act as Assistant VAR Chief Referee Mohammed Hamid during the Group G match between New Zealand and Egypt in Vancouver. It is his first appointment since the end of FIFA's investigation into the controversial episode before the Germany-Curaçao game when the camera switched to the VAR center in Dallas during the pre-match introduction of the officiating team. Viewers noticed how 38-year-old Evans folded the fingers of his right hand in the shape of an upside-down OK sign. This gesture in the modern world is often associated with far-right movements and the demonstration of "white supremacy". The situation instantly went viral and caused a wave of outrage on social media. After an operational investigation, the International Football Federation published a statement in which it said that there was no evidence of violations of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and no sanctions would be taken against the official. Evans himself categorically denied any hidden implication. He supported his position with videos from the VAR room: The coverage of this event just doesn't reflect who I am. Of course, I understand how this gesture was interpreted and regret it, but I want to categorically state that I did not make this symbol knowingly or on purpose. Photos taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times, holding the pen between my fingers," Evans emphasized, adding that working at the World Cup remains the greatest honor of his career. This episode forced the organizers of the tournament to immediately reconsider the approach to pre-match television rituals. Before the incident: During the graphic presentation of the VAR team, the camera showed the referees, who briefly took time away from their work and posed directly into the lens. After the incident: In all subsequent matches, the broadcast from the VAR center has undergone changes - now the video assistants are shown exclusively at work, turned to their monitors, without posing for the camera.