Australian FIFA referee Evans avoids sanction for World Cup hand gesture

[p]Evans, who was working as a support video assistant referee during Germany's game with Curacao on Sunday, was captured placing his index finger and thumb together with his right hand to form a circle.[/p][p]The gesture - which has been linked to far-right extremist groups - was spotted by users on social media, prompting a FIFA investigation.[/p][p]Evans said the gesture had been entirely unintentional in a statement on Monday.[/p][p]"[b]FIFA's independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code[/b]," the governing body said in a statement.[/p][p]Evans said the gesture had arisen from an "[b]involuntary, subconscious twitch.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="794b6ddf-77a8-49a0-a083-035052a1621e" url="https://x.com/AwayDaysClub_/status/2066465167496331561" social-type="twitter" /][p]"[b]I would like to clarify that I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind,[/b]" Evans said.[/p][p]"The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time.[/p][p]"[b]I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this, however I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested.[/b]"[/p]