During the game against Hungary, France’s strikers Mbappé and Benzema were racially abused by the spectators in Budapest. Uefa has now announced investigations into the case.
Due to “possible discriminatory incidents”, Uefa has initiated investigations into Hungary’s two European Championship games against Portugal on June 15 (0: 3) and against France on June 19 (1: 1). This was announced by the European Football Union on Sunday afternoon.
French players were sometimes rudely and racially abused by some fans on Saturday. When the black striker Kylian Mbappé (Paris St. Germain) was on the ball, monkey noises were heard from the ranks again and again. This was reported by a dpa reporter from the stadium. Attacker Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), who has Algerian roots, was also occasionally verbally abused.
Ronaldo has also been insulted
After the first group game in Budapest, Portuguese media reported that superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus Turin) was hostile to some spectators in the Puskas Arena.
Unusual pictures: tens of thousands of fans watched Hungary’s two group games in Budapest. (Source: dpa/Alex Pantling)
More than 55,000 visitors, mostly Hungarian fans, attended the two games in the stadium. Thousands of them had previously met at Heroes’ Square in Budapest and from there set off together on a route of around two kilometers towards the stadium. On Saturday, firecrackers rang out and smoke grenades were detonated. Police forces secured the march. Mostly Hungarian fans were on the road, but French singing could also be heard.
The pictures from Budapest last seemed like football from a forgotten time. The fact that many of the fans there did not wear mouth and nose protection and did not keep enough distance caused incomprehension and criticism in many places.