BUDAPEST: After England players faced racial abuse in Hungary, FIFA said Friday it will take 鈥渁dequate actions鈥� once it has completed its investigation.
The statement from FIFA stopped short of directly condemning Hungary fans for the abuse, which included monkey chanting, in Thursday鈥檚 World Cup qualifier at Puskas Arena in Budapest that England won 4-0.
鈥淔ollowing analysis of the match reports, FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings concerning the incidents,鈥� the world governing body said, without specifically referencing discriminatory incidents.
Hungary had recently been ordered to play two matches without fans but the sanction from UEFA didn鈥檛 take effect for the visit of England because the game was under FIFA鈥檚 jurisdiction. FIFA didn鈥檛 explain why it didn鈥檛 seek to apply the punishment immediately.
鈥淔IFA would like to state that our position remains firm and resolute in rejecting any form of racism and violence as well as any other form of discrimination or abuse,鈥� FIFA said in a statement. 鈥淲e have a very clear zero tolerance stance against such abhorrent behaviors in football.鈥�
The racist abuse has been condemned by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been criticized for his own racially offensive comments in the past.
鈥淚t is completely unacceptable that England players were racially abused in Hungary last night,鈥� Johnson said on Twitter. 鈥淚 urge (FIFA) to take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behavior is eradicated from the game for good.鈥�
England鈥檚 players were jeered for taking a knee, pelted with plastic cups after goals and then targeted with alleged racist chants.
Pitch-side reporters for domestic broadcasters ITV and Sky Sports said they saw and heard individuals among the Hungary supporters behind one of the goals aim monkey chants at Raheem Sterling and unused substitute Jude Bellingham, who are Black. Sky Sports showed video footage of one spectator giving the abuse.
The game was played in front of a crowd of 60,000 mostly Hungarian fans about two months after UEFA ordered the team to play three matches without fans 鈥� one of which was suspended for a probationary period of two years 鈥� as a punishment for what was termed 鈥渄iscriminatory鈥� behavior by its supporters at all three of its Euro 2020 group games.
Those behind-closed-doors games have to be in UEFA competition, though. World Cup qualifiers are organized by FIFA.
鈥淲hy do we keep coming back to these same scenarios, when they鈥檙e so predictable and they鈥檙e so preventable?鈥� said Tony Burnett, chief executive of anti-racism group Kick It Out. 鈥淚f the governing bodies and the right people have got the intent to affect change, they鈥檒l do it.
鈥淭he question for us is why FIFA didn鈥檛 act to prevent this, and why the global football system didn鈥檛 work together to prevent this,鈥� Burnett continued. 鈥淎ll I鈥檓 hearing again thus far is excuses about who should file what paperwork and who should file permission.鈥�
The Hungarian Football Association made no mention of the racial abuse in a statement, published Friday, condemning the actions of 鈥渢hose who were disruptive鈥� in the crowd.
The Hungarian FA said it was looking to identify the people who threw what the body described as 鈥渇lash grenades and cups鈥� onto the field and will report them to the police.
鈥淎ny possible fines will be issued to the perpetrators by the association through a civil litigation procedure,鈥� the statement read, 鈥渁fter which they will be subject to a two-year ban from attending sporting events.鈥�
It said the 鈥渧ast majority of the 60,000 fans in the Puskas Arena were there encouraging their team in a sportsmanlike way, even when their team was losing.鈥�