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England’s players were loudly booed pre-match as they took a knee before facing Hungary in a 2022 World Cup qualifier at a sold-out Puskas Arena in Budapest on Thursday evening. The Three Lions all took to one knee before kick-off and had discussed the idea of doing so pre-match, all agreeing that they would continue to make the gesture having done so at Euro 2020 over the summer.
Hungarian FA President Sandor Csanyi had called on the home fans to not make any racist, homophobic or discriminatory chants pre-match though fans still booed the anti-racism gesture.
He wrote in the match-day programme: “It is also important that the team’s unbeaten run so far in this FIFA qualifying campaign is not overshadowed by anything else and that the loud noises produced inside the arena is full of encouragement for our national team rather than containing any racist, discriminatory or homophobic chants, including discrimination against the Roma community.”
Hungary head coach Marco Rossi meanwhile said of the possibility of discriminatory behaviour: “I hope that we cannot face this kind of situation. What we can say is always in the past we have showed deep respect for everybody.
“I am not afraid or worried about the fact someone could have this kind of behaviour, racist behaviour, in front of the English players. I hope this does not happen.
“In case it does, we are absolutely on the side of the English players, of course.”
Southgate refused to confirm pre-match whether or not England will walk off the pitch if their players are racially abused by Hungary supporters mid-match.
He said: “I don’t think we should speak hypothetically. We know the experience we had before [in Bulgaria] but we’re going into Hungary preparing for a game against a crowd that will get behind their team.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge of the match and everything else is speculation really.
“We always prepare the team for everything really. We’ve done that this week, but also we know we’ve had our own issues at home.
“So we’re not really focusing on other countries, we’re focusing on ourselves and making sure we get our own things correct.”
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