The Romanian sports and political life is boiling because of the Great Hungary map. The decision of the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ) to allow the introduction of molinos depicting the historical map of Hungary to the matches of the national team caused great confusion and indignation. The Bucharest professional association (FRF) claims in a statement that MLSZ did not tell the truth, that UEFA did not allow the "symbol inciting hatred and violence". Many players in Romanian football, as well as leading politicians, consider the use of the symbol to be an insult and impermissible, which is also opposed by the Hungarian head of the anti-discrimination council, reports kronikaonline.ro .
The Romanian Football Association (FRF) is requesting an official statement from the European Football Association (UEFA) after the Hungarian sports federation announced on Tuesday that it had allowed the use of molinos depicting the historical map of Hungary at the matches of the national team. The Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ) made this decision after being asked by UEFA and its anti-discrimination group (FARE), accepting the argument of the association led by Sándor Csányi
"As a result of the negotiations, the association will allow the drapery, which symbolizes respect for historical Hungary and solidarity with fans across the border, to be brought into the stadium"
- stated the MLSZ in its position also presented by our newspaper.
Tuesday's announcement caused a huge uproar in Romanian political life and the football world.
Many representatives of the Romanian sports life consider the developments to be unacceptable, a "serious insult", including those who recently argued in favor of why the anti-Hungarian expression of the fans of the football team from Craiova is not considered such a violation as to award the 3 points to OSK Sepsi from Sepsiszentgyörgy. "The FRF requests an official position from UEFA.
Pandora's box can now open here, on this basis, Serbia can also come with a flag that includes Kosovo"
Andrei Vochin , adviser to the president of the Romanian Football Association, said on Tuesday evening
The FRF returned to the topic in a statement on Wednesday morning, claiming:
following his inquiry, he received the answer from UEFA that he did not allow the use of the symbols mentioned by the Hungarian Football Association in the stands at "European level" matches.
According to the Romanian sports federation, the MLSZ made a mistake with its announcement the previous day, as displaying similar symbols (Great Hungary map - ed. note) would violate the provisions of UEFA's disciplinary regulations, which prohibit the formulation of "provocative, political messages".
"The Romanian Football Federation reminds us that revisionism has not been accepted in football and expresses its conviction that UEFA's disciplinary committees will sanction the use of this symbol, which potentially incites hatred and violence, in European competitions," reads the FRF's statement published on its website.
The 115-times Romanian national team Gheorghe Popescu , the former captain of the tricolors, asked the authorities in Bucharest to urgently intervene in the issue of the Great Hungary map, which, according to him, has nothing to do with sports. According to him, politics is not the competent authority in this case, but the map is a political symbol.
George Becali , the owner of the FCSB (former Steaua) football club in Bucharest, could not be left out of the chorus of opponents either. However, the club manager, who, like Gheorghe Popescu, went to prison, believed that this decision does not affect Romania in any way, and according to his conviction, UEFA does not know what Great Hungary means.
"And then what will change if the map is put on T-shirts and flags? Shall we return Transylvania to them? Let's be healthy, because we won't give them anything back!"
- roared Becali in a statement given to the sports portal Prosport.
Former Romanian sports minister Ionuț Stroe talks about "political interests and stakes" in connection with the topic .
In his social media post, the member of parliament of the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) believed that politics has no place in sports, and that allowing the use of the map of Great Hungary in the stands would create a "dangerous precedent".
"It would be in direct conflict with all the principles governing the sport. (The authorization - ed. Note) would do nothing but blow wind into the sails of the extremists, who are always fishing in the dark anyway," said the spokesperson of the Romanian ruling party. Stroe added that he expects UEFA not to accept such a request from the Hungarians, "not to give oxygen to revisionist ideas, not to allow football to be poisoned by political interests and stakes."
Marcel Ciolacu , the president of the largest Romanian governing body, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) spoke , saying that "football is not politics". In a post posted on his social media page on Wednesday morning, the politician holding the office of president of the Bucharest House of Representatives said:
the European Football Association must withdraw its decision allowing MLSZ to use the map of Great Hungary on banners and flags.
"Revisionist frustrations have nothing to do with sporting events. The president of the Romanian professional association, as a member of the UEFA executive council, must urgently request the withdrawal of this decision"
- wrote Ciolacu, who, according to the coalition agreement, will take over the post of Prime Minister in the Cotroceni Palace from May. The president of the PSD further welcomed and called the position of Csaba Asztalos, president of the National Anti-Discrimination Council (CNCD) on the subject, as balanced, expressing the hope that this "model" will be adopted by Hungarian and UEFA officials as well.
Csaba Asztalos commented on the information about the use of the Great Hungary map as saying that the European Union made a wrong decision, which does not contribute to the dialogue between the states.
"UEFA didn't make a wise decision, I don't know what was going through their heads;
I don't know what the Hungarian football association argued. The map of Great Hungary should only be used in history lessons for educational purposes. This map has a revisionist meaning”
- said the Hungarian head of the Romanian anti-discrimination council.
By the way, the Romanian press reporting on the subject almost without exception links the current developments to the fact that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was seen wearing a scarf depicting a stylized map of Great Hungary after the match between the Hungarian and Greek national football teams last November. At the time, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident a revisionist manifestation, and the support of the Hungarian prime minister caused a great response in the other states neighboring Hungary as well. The Prime Minister responded to the criticisms expressed in Bucharest, Kiev, and Zagreb as follows: one should not see things that are not there.
"Football is not politics. Let's not see something that isn't there. All Hungarian teams of the Hungarian national team, wherever they live!"
- wrote Viktor Orbán in a post posted on his Facebook page.
Source: kronikaonline.ro.
Photo: MTI/Viktor Veres
