The British Football Association has asked international federation FIFA to launch an investigation into racist behaviours by Hungarian supporters during a Hungary-England World Cup qualifier played in Budapest on Thursday night.
After the match, which England won by 0-4, the British players complained about being loudly booed when they had taken the knee as a gesture against racism before starting, and said that after each goal plastic cups and other objects were thrown into the field, while racist slogans were chanted.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Facebook
“it is completely unacceptable that England football team players were racially abused in Hungary”
and called on FIFA to “take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behaviour is eradicated from the game for good”.
“The English fans were booing the Italian national anthem so loud that you could hardly hear it,
not to mention the insults that were flying during the match itself,” the minister said.
FIFA rejected all forms of racism and violence in a statement, and pledged zero tolerance for such behaviours. The federation also pledged to take appropriate action once they received reports on the events.
Hungarian association MLSZ said in a statement that “most of the 60,000 supporters stayed sportsmanlike even when the (Hungarian) team was losing”. They said that
the perpetrators were being identified and would be “strictly punished”.
MLSZ also said that it would sue the perpetrators for compensation should the federation be fined, and they would be banned from sports events for two years.
European federation UEFA condemned Hungarian fans for “discriminative behaviours” in July and ruled that the Hungarian team should play three European matches behind closed doors, with one of them suspended for two years.
22 Comments
Steady on Mr Szijjártó, we’re talking about appalling racism and monkey noises. We can see two of the perpetrators in this headline. At the time the England vs Italy match wasn’t racism, that was downright hooliganism. Unfortunately both of these incidents were witnessed by millions. As you said, “Everyone could see how the English fans treated the Italian players in the Euro 2020 final.” True, that was shocking behaviour. Well, now everyone has seen how Hungarian fans treated the English players. One of the players wasn’t even on the pitch, he was still warming up on the sidelines. Still a teenager. Last night’s match showed pure hatred.
Typical Hungarian response to any criticism – “Others do it too, so you can’t complain about us”. That’s not how it works. It does not make it OK. It’s ghastly, ignorant and primitive behaviour wherever it happens. Perhaps Orban, Szijjártó and the rest of the Fidesz kakistocracy think that as it’s a Hungarian culture thing, that excuses it. It doesn’t. There’s something deeply wrong with your culture and you if you believe that.
“the British players complained about being loudly booed when they had taken the knee as a gesture against racism before starting,”
If the British players feel that they need to knee to white-hating, racist BLM (Burn Loot Murder) terrorists, they should do it at home. They shouldn’t bring their penance for their horrors of colonization and exploitation of Africa and all the countries they sucked dry during their colonization. Do your penance at home! Don’t disrespect Hungarians by bringing your dirty laundry here.
Maybe it was a minority in both countries but it saddens me to think that it seemed to be more racist in Budapest. It saddens me because although I don’t see many games now my abiding memory of Hungary is watching them play and beat Brasil at Goodison in 1966. One of the best games ever and the memory of Bene,Albert,Farkas and the rest of the team will live long. No racism here but admittedly no black players either which was pity..The Goodison crowd were firmly on the side of the Magyars with chants of “Albert,Albert” through most of the game. Let’s hope we can cut out the racism in future and Hungary can get back to the team they once were.
The British players should keep their garbage at home.
Hungarians have nothing to do with their horrors of slavery.
Your crime. Deal with it at home.
Hungarian are the King of Racist. I worked with few and I witnessed it many times. I was not surprised at all .
Schmidt Mária answered Boris Johnson on facebook. I agree with her 100%. It is in Hungarian but should be no problem to use an online translator. A very good letter that puts things in proper historical context, including the outrageous, racist conduct of British fans against the Italians. I don’t suppose Boris had any words about that.
Adrian Mann doesn’t like Orban and Szijjártó protesting the West’s twisted double standard that ignores their own dirt but notices every little thing about Hungarians. Better stop blaming Hungarians for the racial mess you have created. Clean up your own act but not while you are guests in Hungary.
FIFA, football’s world governing body announced on Friday that it has opened disciplinary proceedings over the racist abuse of England players during a World Cup qualifier match against Hungary the previous evening.
“Following analysis of the match reports, FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings concerning the incidents last night at the game Hungary-England,”
All millions saw was a vile display of hatred by the Hungarian rent a mob. They will be dealt with and Hungary will be fined AGAIN. Hungarian fans behaved like this for three matches a couple of months ago for the Euros, none of them were against England. It’s a Hungarian problem.
In the UK and US – everything is racist and if you say you are not- that means you are definitely racist.
How disgusted were you for the British fans racist, brutal abuse of Italian team?
There seems to be a failure to acknowledge that there are 2 wrongs but they are very separate. One is the booing of the players, which is bad and the other is the pelting of players with projectiles and making racist taunts directly at players because of the colour of their skin. The booing happened at Wembley with Italy, it is true. But the far worse behaviour of throwing objects etc including a lit flare on to the pitch and direct racial abuse did not. People who condone this behaviour are no better than the thugs (minority in the crowd) who did that. Using the excuse that because a minority of people at Wembley behaved unacceptably gives carte blanc to others to do the same is hardly a civilised response. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Doesn’t matter what anyone writes, people will just remember the appalling behaviour. Imagine how Hungary looks now, racist and homophobic
The fans expressed FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!
You can’t reason with Maria Von Theresa, far too brainwashed. Let’s see how the fans conduct themselves at other matches. They couldn’t behave at three of the Euros games. That’s why they were fined a hundred thousand Euros. Held up homophobic banners and made monkey noises at German players. But I guess that was just freedom of speech as well!
Perhaps Maria VT can explain to FIFA and UEFA that the ‘fans’ were only expressing freedom of speech. I’m sure they’d understand
So by your logic if I throw and bottle or can or a flare at you, you won’t mind because that’s freedom of speech.
Why is it OK just because some idiotic Englisg people jeered the Italians ?. Because Hungary has an Italian manager ?. Let’s racially abuse young black men because our manager is Italian ?. Abusing anyone because of their skin colour is disgusting even if your manager is Italian. Shame on these idiots for spoiling what otherwise was fantastic Hungarian support minus a few idiots.
To all you whining hypocrites
The British players drew first blood, not the Hungarian fans. Hungarians don’t believe in kneeing for the white-hating, racist, terrorist BLM organization or making a hero of George Floyd a life-long brutal criminal. The British players insulted the Hungarians with their kneeing and got exactly what they asked for. Now they are whining like little children. It is so unbecoming of those who amassed their incredible wealth by brutally exploiting the colonists, murdering millions of people they claim to be so concerned about. The British owned black slaved. Hungarians did not own slaves.
I detest the taking of the knee. Boo if you want but racially abusing people because of their skin colour is despicable and the answer from the person above puts him in the same group as the perpetrators. History is from the past. Grow up, move on and enjoy life. I really isn’t difficult.
The British owned black slaved. Hungarians did not own slaves.
“Bad behavior?” at football games started a long time ago. In some countries, people get trampled and killed. In GB. fans, of individual clubs, is unsupportable. The British fans booed the Hungarian National Anthem, no one mentioned that it was disrespectful. If were are going to be critics, we should be even handed, otherwise, the criticism looks like pure hate.
No, people should not be ridiculed on the basis of skin color. That is childish and rude. However, booing those who kneel are allowed. First, it is an action that denotes subservience, or represent something that the country is not guilty of, therefore does not sympathize with. The fans went to see a game and does not care to pay for the expression of other country’s unacceptable past.
Booing is a form of free speech. Free speech should always be exercised.
Sounds to me like The UK players need to go play in their safe space in their mommies basement with their Ken and Barbie Dolls and Purses. The Brits are a bunch of pansies ruined by their Liberal education system. Anytime someone says anything they disagree with, they cry like little babies and call the offender a racist, an anti semite or other code word for their woke belief’s . It is no wonder the British Empire is dead. I had a neighbor like that in Budapest, always complaining about Hungary and the people. I asked him if he knew how to get to the Budapest Airport? He claimed he did. I told him to get there as fast as he could and book a one way flight back home and never come back. I think he did, he moved a fews after that and word has it he went back to his safe space in the UK.