Three weeks ago, the fans came back to the matches, but with them xenophobia also returned to the Romanian stadiums. Árpád Antal, the mayor of Sepsiszentgyörgy in Transylvania, called on the Romanian Football Association (FRF) to tighten the disciplinary rules in order to curb the anti-Hungarian sentiment prevalent in Romanian stadiums.

The foreman announced on a social media site on Tuesday that "the frequency and extent of anti-Hungarianism in the stands in Romania has become deeply outrageous and downright worrisome." According to Antal, the FRF did not act with sufficient force against the phenomenon. "Therefore, we strongly call on the management of the football association to tighten the rules on the one hand, and to strictly adhere to these rules on the other," wrote Árpád Antal.

He said he had consulted Razvan Burleanu, president of the FRF, who said the federation had little leeway under current rules and that any sanctions that could be imposed would depend on the match observer's report. According to the current laws, the FRF can only impose sanctions on clubs, so one solution would be to amend the law so that fans can also be punished by even being banned from stadiums.

According to Antal, it is important to inform the European Union (UEFA) of the prevailing conditions in Romanian football and to ask them to monitor the Romanian championship.

Out of the country with the Hungarians

the home of Farul by Sepsi OSK in the Romanian top flight, the Hungarian fans chanted "out of the country with the Hungarians!" rhyme. Roland Niczuly, the goalkeeper of Sepsi, complained in his statement after the match that he was spat on by the home fans sitting behind the goal. The match was won 1-0 by Farul, managed by Gheorghe Hagi from the bench.

, anti-Hungarian chants were heard during Steaua Bucuresti-FK Csíkszereda held in the second division last Wednesday

"In the championship match against Steaua in Bucharest, Csíksereda had a reception reminiscent of the darkest times of the pseudo-democracy in Romania. The 2.5-thousand-member ultra-congregation of the professional football team, which belongs to the Ministry of War and is maintained in an unprecedented way in the European Union, with public money, i.e. also with the contribution of Hungarian-speaking taxpayers, was tried with anti-Hungarian rhymes that would not tolerate printing ink, and with the continuous use of a large number of pyrotechnic devices that have been on the banned list in stadiums for years. to intimidate the FK Csíkszereda team and indirectly the Hungarian community in Romania as a whole," the Csíkszereda club writes in its statement, adding that all this could be done without disturbance, as the hundreds of security personnel did not intervene.

Romanian Minister of Youth and Sports Eduárd Novák announced on Monday that the anti-violence committee of the specialized ministry has launched an internal investigation into the case.

"I call on all those who analyze these incidents, led by the Romanian Football Association, to hold the perpetrators accountable!" - said Eduárd Novák.

The RMDSZ strongly condemns the behavior

The club turned to the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (RMDSZ) for help to take action against all forms of slander against the community, and at the same time to achieve that the persons and officials who financially support the disgraceful behavior of the ultras are brought to justice at the sports association belonging to the Ministry of War. The RMDSZ strongly condemns the behavior experienced at the match, which is why the Anti-Violence Committee of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched an internal investigation into the matter.

"Such discriminatory and aggressive actions must be punished immediately and severely, so I call on all those who analyze these incidents, starting with the Romanian Football Association, to hold the perpetrators accountable. Sport should bring people closer together, not incite them against each other," said Eduárd Novák, Minister of Youth and Sports of the RMDSZ.

Source: MTI / Index / Mandiner

Image source: National Sport