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Hungarian government defends children who booed England players taking the knee

Gareth Southgate furious as Hungarian children boo England players for taking the knee - PA
Gareth Southgate furious as Hungarian children boo England players for taking the knee - PA

Gareth Southgate expressed disappointment over boos from schoolchildren for his players taking the knee on a disappointing night that saw England slump to a 1-0 defeat in Hungary.

Despite England's opponents facing a behind-closed-doors ban for racism, a Uefa loophole around 30,000 children and their guardians in - prompting a minority to lead a chorus of jeers during the kick-off gesture.

"I have no idea why people would try to boo that gesture," Southgate said, as he called for more education around anti-discrimination. "And I think very often young people can't know why they are doing it really, they are being influenced by older adults."

Criticism of Hungarian fans drew an angry response from Zoltan Kovacs, Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations and the spokesman for the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister.

"Anyone who thinks that children attending a football match in Budapest can be blamed for any kind of political statement is truly an idiot," he wrote on Twitter. "Congratulations to our national team, applause for the 35,000 kids."

Clearly audible jeers for the players taking the knee come after Hungary team bosses and national politicians were among the most outspoken critics of gesture after the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. However, Southgate refused to criticise authorities for letting the youngsters inside the Puskas Arena.

In response to the boos, Southgate said he had been "very surprised" and "we do it to try to educate". But he said he should accept criticism for the subsequent performance of his players. "We are disappointed because, of course, if we're going to be a team that gets to the final stages of a World Cup, these are the types of games that we have to win," he added.

"The Uefa decision (to allow children to attend the behind-closed-doors match), that's for other people to decide on. We've made our stand as a team, everybody knows what we believe and what we stand for," he said.

"Tonight's a night where I've got to focus on the football. When you lose you have to focus on other areas, otherwise I would be taking a lack of responsibility for the result."

Although the crowd ban for racism was issued by Fifa against Hungary, the loophole that allowed Hungary to invite schoolchildren is a Uefa rule set out in its 50 page 2022 disciplinary regulations. Southgate said in response: “How that aligns with the [ban] decision is difficult to understand. From a development perspective I want and need my team to be playing in front of supporters, but that’s not the point in this instance. I’m torn between what we got from it and what the reality should have been."

Southgate cited stifling 28C temperatures as a factor for their shock defeat in Budapest. Hungary last beat England in 1962 and it was Dominik Szoboszlai who wrote his name into the history books for Hungary, firing a well-struck penalty beyond Jordan Pickford in the second half.

Southgate questioned the penalty decision but recognised his side had not created clear enough chances to win the game. "The heat was a factor," he said. "That took a lot out of the players.  I don't want to be too harsh on them. These are games we need to learn from."

Conor Coady added that he was "massively disappointed" by the result. "This isn't how we wanted to start the group stage, and it's not how we wanted to start the competition," he added. "They're a good side, they're organised, but we wanted to come here and get results."

Prime Minister Viktor Orban had also previously said taking the knee was alien to the central European country, adding that pressuring athletes everywhere to follow suit was "provocation."

Nine months ago racism marred the Three Lions’ 4-0 World Cup qualification win at the Puskas Arena, which was half full on Saturday despite the hosts serving a Uefa punishment for discriminatory behaviour at Euro 2020.

Before kick off at the Puskas Arena, there had been activities put on for the children and their adult supervisors played down the likelihood of any abuse by saying they were dismayed by previous scenes of racism from Hungarian Far Right ultras.

Hungary had been fined £158,416 and ordered to play behind closed doors by Fifa over abuse against Jude Bellingham and Raheem Sterling in Budapest from far right ultras in September 2021.