Evans later vehemently denied having made the gesture intentionally or trying to convey any message through it. The 38-year-old explained that the movement was an unconscious physical habit rather than a deliberate act.
“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” Evans said in a statement. “Of course, 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.
“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers. Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honour of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament.”
