Heightened security measures await Hungary fans in Italy
Hungary is to meet the UEFA European Championships title holder, Italy, in its next Nations League match. The venue will be Cesena, a city not far from San Marino, which counts around 100,000 residents. Last Saturday, Hungary defeated England 1-0 with a penalty kick in Budapest.
Heightened security awaits Hungarian fans
According to hvg.hu, Hungary will meet Italy on Tuesday in Cesena, where there will be 300 police officers on duty during the match. The duel is scheduled to start at 8.45 pm. The Italian Corriere di Bologna reported about the heightened security measures of the local police.
The Italian media outlet wrote that the Hungarian fans’ reputation precedes them. Their violent, sometimes racist and homophobic behaviour is well-known to the police all over Europe, Corriere di Bologna said. That is why the Hungarian Football Association received a three-match stadium ban.
No take-away purchase for Hungarian fans
In Cesena, there will be 300 police officers taking care of public orders and security. They expect 1,500 Hungarian supporters for whom they appoint a designated fan zone in the city park, accessible between 11 am and 7 pm. Moreover, the local government prohibited the sale of bottled drinks and take-away orders on Tuesday in the shops and restaurants.
As we reported earlier, the European Football Association (UEFA) originally imposed three closed-door penalties on the Hungarian national team due to their supporters’ discriminatory behaviour during EURO 2920. However, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) turned the UEFA disciplinary regulations to its advantage, as article 73 makes an exemption in the case of children under age 14 accompanied by their guardians. The federation took the opportunity and invited 30,000 children, free of charge, who later verbally expressed their disdain towards England while the foreign team took a knee.
According to BBC, this is a critical blind spot in UEFA’s regulations. The closed-door penalty should have been a deterrent, instead, the Hungarian team was allowed to play in a festive atmosphere.
Source: hvg.hu, bbc.com