In excess of 30,000 people - mainly schoolchildren - were allowed inside the Puskas Arena on Saturday evening for the Nations League fixture as UEFA rules allow for an unlimited number of U14s to attend games behind closed doors, as long as they are accompanied by an adult
Sunday 5 June 2022 15:00, UK
England players were booed by Hungary fans - mostly children - while taking a knee before their 1-0 Nations League defeat in Budapest, despite the hosts being forced to play the game behind closed doors due to racist abuse from the stands.
UEFA imposed a stadium ban after the previous behaviour of Hungary supporters during Euro 2020 matches staged in the country last summer, while FIFA issued a similar punishment after England were racially abused during their 4-0 World Cup qualifying win in September.
However, in excess of 30,000 people - mainly youngsters - were allowed inside the Puskas Arena on Saturday evening for the Nations League fixture as UEFA rules permit an unlimited number of U14s to attend games behind closed doors for free, as long as every 10 children are accompanied by one adult.
The national anthems of both countries were respected as the players made their way out onto the pitch, but jeers were audible from the crowd while England took a knee before kick-off in what was their first visit to the stadium since they were racially abused last year.
However, UEFA will not punish Hungary for booing the act of taking a knee, as it is not against its rules.
Reporting from inside the Puskas Arena, Sky Sports News' senior reporter Rob Dorsett said: "It was an incredibly loud environment and all eyes were on the crowd when England took a knee and the booing from thousands of schoolchildren inside the stadium was very, very clear.
"It was a strange noise in truth because these are all U14s so it was higher-pitched noise than what we're used to when we hear booing. But it was very clear booing by the vast majority of people inside the stadium.
"It's important to stress that it's not against UEFA rules. Do not expect UEFA to punish the Hungarian FA further, but what I think it will do is support the feeling expressed by a lot of people within football that the image of a stadium two-thirds full of spectators for a game that is supposed to have none as a punishment for former racist abuse, is distasteful and not sending out the right message.
"There's a further concern that these are youngsters. They did not like the gesture of England players taking a knee and they did not approve of it."
Ahead of England's trip to Budapest, manager Gareth Southgate said his side needed to "keep doing the right things and setting the right example" in taking a stand against racism.
But after the booing on Saturday evening, the 51-year-old admitted he could not understand the negative response to his players taking a knee at the Puskas Arena but suggests it could be "inherited thinking".
When asked if the attendance for the game makes a mockery of UEFA's rulings, Southgate replied: "How that aligns with the decision is difficult to understand.
"From a development perspective, I want and need the team to be playing in front of supporters. But of course, that's not the point in this instance.
"So I'm torn on what we actually got from that and what the reality should have been. I think that needs some consideration without a doubt. In actual fact the atmosphere when we arrived at the stadium, there were kids lining the streets, it was really friendly.
"They were waving when we were walking out to warm up. I thought there were sort of pantomime boos when our team came out to warm up.
"That was different with the taking of a knee but that felt like inherited thinking to me. We do it to try to educate and I think young people can only be influenced by older people.
"I have no idea why people would choose to boo that gesture and very often young people can't know why they're doing it so they're being influenced by older adults - everyone knows what we believe and what we stand for.
"What I would say is, I hear that still in our stadiums as well. That's why we do it and continue to take that stand and we will keep doing that as a team."
England defender Conor Coady, who played 79 minutes in Budapest, says the booing was "massively disappointing" but insists it will not stop England from taking a knee.
"I heard it and it's massively disappointing because we've spoken about it more than enough as a team, as players, as clubs about what we're trying to do," he told Sky Sports.
"We're not going to stop doing that, but we'd like to think people understand what we're trying to do now, so it's massively disappointing but it won't stop us doing it going into the next game.
"It's important we keep on trying to take a stand as a team, as a country, to try and move things forward."
