NYON/BUDAPEST: Hungary have been told by European feederation UEFA to play three matches behind closed doors as a result of “discriminatory behaviour” by fans in Budapest during  Euro 2020.

The third game of that three-match ruling will be suspended for a probationary period of two years, while the Hungarian Football Federation have also been fined €100,000.

UEFA has have also ordered that a banner with the message “#EqualGame” and featuring the UEFA  logo on it be displayed during those next two matches in Budapest.

The ruling – which does not apply to 2022 World Cup qualifiers – comes after they appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate “potential discriminatory incidents” during the 2-2 Group F draw with Hungary in Munich on June 23.
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European football’s governing body had already opened an investigation into Hungary’s matches against Portugal and France in Budapest.

 

Ahead of Hungary’s second Group F contest against France, some Hungarian supporters marched to the Puskas Arena carrying a banner that called on players to stop taking a knee to protest against racism.

UEFA later declined a request to illuminate Munich’s Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for Hungary’s match against Germany on the grounds of the gesture having political context.

European football’s governing body said it received the request from the mayor of the German city, Dieter Reiter. Uefa said that the mayor’s reason for the request was a response to legislation passed in Hungary banning gay people from appearing in school educational materials or programmes for under-18s.

On that basis, UEFA said it could not grant the request and proposed alternative dates for the stadium to be lit up in rainbow colours. Reiter later called the ruling “shameful”.

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