Post date: Jan 09, 2013 4:35:27 PM
Hungary's far-right leader Gabor Vona condemns the ban on his country's fans attending a World Cup qualifying game following racist abuse of Israel's players at a match in August.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (JANUARY 9, 2013) (REUTERS) - The leader of Hungary's far-right Jobbick party on Wednesday (January 9) cricicised FIFA's decision to ban fans from attending the country's World Cup qualifying game against Romania in March.
The punishment followed anti-Semitic chanting by fans in a friendly at home against Israel in August. Hungarian fans also waved Iranian flags at the Israeli team, who were warned of a "severe threat" to their safety.Jobbick leader Gabor Vana said the ban was unprecedented and he accused FIFA of interfering.
"This sanction comes at the time of such a crucial match - we feel this is unprecedented and theInternational Football Association is thus interfering in the final results," he said.
Vana went on to say racist chanting was usual at international matches and then blamed Israel's foreign policies for the hostile reaction their players received.
"I cannot imagine that Israel would go to any place in the world for a football match and there would be no criticism of Israel's policies in the football stadium stands," he said.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian Football Association will appeal against FIFA's decision.
Hungary and Romania, who meet on March 22, are locked on nine points from four games, three behind group leaders Netherlands and six ahead of any challengers for second spot.
Hungary's national sports daily ran a full front-page image on Wednesday saying "Locked out!" and called the decision "shocking" while fan pages on social media sites exploded with condemnations of FIFA and its leaders, often repeating anti-Semitic slurs.
Last November one Jobbick leader, Marton Gyongyosi, urged the government to draw up lists of Jews who pose a "national security risk", stirring outrage among Jewish leaders who saw echoes of fascist policies that led to the Holocaust.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Hungarian Jews died in the Holocaust, according to the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Budapest. According to some accounts, one in three Jews killed in Auschwitz were Hungarian nationals.