Unsightly scenes in Budapest: French players are said to have been racially insulted during the European Championship match between Hungary and France - by the hooligan and neo-Nazi block "Carpathian Brigade"?
Budapest - On Saturday (June 19) the Hungarian national football team caused a sensation at this European championship *.
The underdog won 1-1 against world champions France.
One day after the gripping and atmospheric game, however, inglorious side effects are loud.
EM 2021: racism in the stadium?
France professionals apparently badly hostile
French footballers * have been insulted by some fans in the Budapest Puskas Arena.
When striker Kylian Mbappé was on the ball, monkey noises could be heard from the stands.
This was reported by a
dpa
reporter from the stadium.
Attacker Karim Benzema, who has Algerian roots, was also occasionally verbally abused.
As the French sports newspaper
L'Équipe
writes, there were also monkey noises when midfielders N'Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba were on the ball.
At the first group game in Budapest, the Portuguese media reported that superstar Cristiano Ronaldo * was hostile to some spectators in the Puskas Arena.
More than 55,000 visitors, mostly Hungarian fans *, attended the two games in the stadium *.
EM 2021: "Carpathian Brigade" in focus - "A paramilitary group made up of neo-Nazis"
A French photographer told
L'Équipe
that the monkey calls came from the block behind the gate.
In the Hungarian capital, this black-clad mob in particular is responsible for the atmosphere in the stadium.
This is the "Carpathian Brigade", an amalgamation of actually hostile ultra-groupings who stand in the national team "together for Hungary" in the stadium and want the old territories of Greater Hungary back.
The group, which is partly made up of violent hooligans, has in the past repeatedly been confronted with accusations of right-wing extremist attitudes.
“This is a paramilitary group made up of neo-Nazis,” Bálint Josá, founder of the Hungarian organization “
Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány”
(“Foundation for Subjective Values”)
told
Vice magazine in
2016
.
“They are the most violent and also the most influential group on the curve.” The majority of the people in the stadium are not neo-Nazis, explains the expert, “but the big problem is that the loudest, the strongest and the most visible hooligans and ultras are all neo-Nazis . "
EM 2021: Fighting and Hitler salute - “Carpathian Brigade” already attracts negative attention in 2016
The “Carpathian Brigade” had already attracted negative attention at the last European Championship in 2016.
In France, the hooligans fought in the street and showed the Hitler salute during the games.
Before the first European Championship game against Portugal, there was also an organized fan march.
Images are circulating on the Internet showing racist banners.
Meanwhile, it is interesting that the tickets for European Championship games are actually allocated and raffled.
The "Carpathian Brigade" managed to position themselves behind the goal against both Portugal * and France.
The hardcore fans have a big influence in the stadium.
This is probably one of the reasons why their actions are tolerated by the majority of stadium visitors.
+
The "Carpathian Brigade" in the European Championship opening game against Portugal.
© Laszlo Balogh / dpa
EM 2021: Full stadium thanks to Orban - the games are only sold out in Hungary
Budapest is the only venue * of this EM * where the crowd is sold out.
In addition to the now comparatively relaxed corona situation, this is also due in particular to ruler Viktor Orban, who in the recent past has repeatedly sought solidarity with Uefa and made the Puskas Arena available for Champions League games or the Uefa Supercup.
The Prime Minister likes to present himself as a man of the people and tries to secure his power through organized sport. “He is of the firm conviction that sport in particular strengthens community spirit and national pride,” quotes Die
Zeit from
journalist János Kele, who is critical of the government. “You should also know that a cornerstone of the policy of the Fidesz party (
ruling
party
, which is chaired by Orban, d. Ed.
)
Is
to constantly emphasize that Hungarians are destined to achieve great things in life - for example with the
Organization of
large tournaments. “
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