Hungary–Romania football rivalry

Hungary–Romania football rivalry

Hungarian fans (top) and Romanian fans (bottom)
Teams	Hungary  Romania
First meeting	Romania 1–2 Hungary friendly Bucharest (4 October 1936)
Latest meeting	Hungary 0–0 Romania UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Budapest (4 September 2015)
Next meeting	TBD
Statistics
Meetings total	25
Most wins	Hungary (11), Romania (6)
Largest victory	Hungary 9-0 Romania friendly Budapest (6 Jun 1948)

The Hungary–Romania football rivalry is a competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans.

National teams of Hungary and Romania are longtime rivals, as the two countries are neighbours and had many conflicts through history.^[1][2]

The first official match between the two teams dates back to 1936.

Due to the general tension of the matches between the two teams and the numerous fan incidents resulting from the general feeling of antipathy between the two countries, it can be considered one of the most bitter rivalries of the football world.

Background

While the two teams haven't met often, the cause of the rivalry is a historic rivalry between the two countries.

After the end of the First World War and the Hungarian-Romanian War, the Treaty of Trianon was signed and Hungary lost Transylvania to Romania, among other territories to neighboring countries.

Generally Hungarian people still consider the loss of Transylvania a great injustice.

As a result, there is still a general feeling of antipathy between both countries today, and they often use sports to fuel it, football matches being the most important as football is the most popular sport in the two countries.

Incidents

On 22 March 2013, during FIFA World Cup 2014 qualification – UEFA Group D, around 5000 Hungarian fans clashed with the Hungarian police after the game at the Ferenc Puskás Stadion between the two teams finished 2-2.^[3]

Days before the 6 September 2013 match at Arena Nationala between the two teams, during FIFA World Cup 2014 qualification – UEFA Group D , the Hungarian fans chanted xenophobic chants aimed at Romania at matches in the Hungarian League and posted messages aiming at violence towards Romanians in online forums.^[4]

A part of the Hungarian fans went in Romania for the game with shirts showing the message "Hungary on Tour - Gypsyland, Bucharest 2013.09.06."^[5]

Hours before the game hundreds of Hungarian hooligans attempted devastating the Old Centre of Bucharest and starting fights with the Romanian police, who promptly stopped them using tear gas and brute force.^[6][7]

On 6 September 2013, during FIFA World Cup 2014 qualification – UEFA Group D in Arena Nationala, Romanian fans booed the Hungarian anthem and lit flares in some areas of the auditorium.

After Hungary lost the match 0–3, Hungarian fans were quickly transported back home to prevent any conflict, but Hungarian fans clashed with both Romanian fans and police forces, angered by their team's crushing defeat against their biggest rivals.

On 11 October 2014, during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group F match between Romania and Hungary at the Arena Națională illicit banners and crowd disturbances were detected by the UEFA.^[8]

After the Hungarian National Anthem was whistled by the Romanian fans,^[9][10] during the intonatation of the Romanian National Anthem the Hungarian fans turned on their backs and showed obscene gestures.^[11]

According to Gazeta Sporturilor, the Romanian ultras were let to the Stadium without properly being searched^[12] and before the match they thrown firecrackers, lighers and steam grenades at the Hungarian fans, who responded by throwing broken chairs at the Romanian ultras. After the anthems were played Hungarian fans broke the barriers that held their sector in the stadium closed and attempted to start a fight with the Romanian fans.^[13] The security guards (employee's of BGS^[14]) brutally tried to make order in the Romanian sector and many - also innocent - spectators were injured. In response the Romanian ultras threw two security guards through a fence. According to Adevarul, the events were not far away from a cancellation of the match that would have resulted in a 0-3 score for Hungary, because the Romanian fans may took pyrotechnical tools in an industrial amount, as a result the continuous explosions of the steam petards the situation was alike with a "Gaza-strip environment".^[15] Finally, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) apologized in front of the Romanian fans because of the actions of the security guards. Despite the FRF's earlier notifications the Romanian fans made xenophobic chants like "Afară, afară cu ungurii din ţară", in return the Hungarian fans chanted "cigányok, cigányok".

During the game Hungarian forward Ádám Szalai had a goal disallowed for offside six minutes before the break, causing Hungarian fans to set several seats on fire.^[16]

The final result was 1-1, but the match was simply a side-note to the brutal violence both on and off the pitch. Scottish referee William Collum was forced to dish out 12 yellow cards during the match, while police sprayed tear gas at fans in the stands. Both sets of supporters created a deafening roar throughout the game, letting off flares and firecrackers, to the dismay of onlooking police.^[17]

The UEFA started an investigation and finally both football federations were punished.^[18]

One week before the 4 September 2015 game between the two teams, the Hungarian Football Federation fined 6 first league Hungarian clubs a total of over 3 million forints for xenophobic insults by their fans directed at Romania.

These incidents occurred during the first league matches Diósgyőr-Újpest 2-1, Honvéd-Puskás Akadémia 0-0, Vasas-MTK 0-1 and Videoton-Debrecen 1-0, the fined clubs were Újpest, Honvéd, Videoton, Debrecen, MTK and Diósgyőr.^[19]

On 3 September 2015, one day before the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group F match, Hungarian football hooligans clashed with the Hungarian police in the streets of Budapest, 16 of them being arrested.^[20]

Also, the hotel which was hosting the Romanian team was assaulted by Hungarian hooligans.^[21]

Hours before the game Hungarian fans attempted fights against the Romanian fans in the Romanian fanzone by throwing firecrackers and flares at them, but the Hungarian police forced stopped the two groups of fans from clashing.^[22]

Also before the game, a small group of Romanian fans supporting rival Romanian teams (Steaua Bucharest and Dinamo Bucharest) started to insult and beat each other in one of the stands. The Steaua fans responsible for the altercation (there was already tension between the Dinamo and Steaua fans due to Steaua fans deciding to wear their SUD Steaua shirts at the game instead of Romania shirts like the other over 1000 Romanian fans, the altercation started when Steaua fans missheard Dinamo fans's "Trianon" chant directed at the Hungarian fans as "Dinamo" and tried attacking them) were escorted out of the arena.^{[23][24][25][26]}

In return the Hungarian fans chanted "cigányok" at the Romanian fans.^[27]

The Romanian fans responded by chanting "bozgorii" at the Hungarian fans for much of the match.^[28]

During the game, Hungarian fans booed Romania's national anthem and lit flares and torches inside the stadium.^[29]

They also chanted xenophobic chants such as "cigányok" at the Romanian team and its fans for the reminder of the game, which finished 0-0.^[30]

Matches

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Hungary won 5–4 on aggregate (After Replay; After Second Leg: 3–3)

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Stadia

As of 4 September 2015

No	Stadium	Venue	Matches	Hungary wins	Draws	Romania wins
1.	Ferenc Puskás Stadium	Hungary, Budapest	7	2	3	2
2.	Stadionul 23. August	Romania, Bucharest	3	1	2	0
3.	Stadionul Republicii	Romania, Bucharest	3	2	1	0
4.	Üllői úti stadion	Hungary, Budapest	2	2	0	0
5.	Arena Națională	Romania, Bucharest	2	0	1	1
6.	Stadionul Ghencea	Romania, Bucharest	2	0	0	2
7.	Stadion Partizana	Yugoslavia, Belgrade	1	1	0	0
8.	Megyeri úti Stadium	Hungary, Budapest	1	1	0	0
9.	Stadionul CFR	Romania, Timișoara	1	1	0	0
10.	GSP Stadium	Cyprus, Nicosia	1	0	0	1
11.	Veritas Stadion	Finland, Turku	1	1	0	0
12.	Groupama Arena	Hungary, Budapest	1	0	1	0

Statistics

As of 14 June 2016

Competition	Hungary wins	Draws	Romania wins
Total	11	8	6

^{[31] [32]}

Top scorers

• Active players in bold

See also

• Hungary-Romania relations

References