British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday (03.09.2021) condemned “completely unacceptable” racist insults against England players during the 2022 World Cup qualifier match in Budapest on Thursday, and called on FIFA to act.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that England players were subjected to racist insults last night (Thursday) in Hungary,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The head of government urged FIFA to “take strict measures against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behavior is eradicated forever.”
British media such as the BBC and Sky News reported racist chants directed at black players Jude Bellingham and Raheem Sterling during the match that England won 4-0.
Just before the match, the English players were booed by a majority of the 60,000 Hungarian fans for kneeling to denounce racism.
In 2019, a Euro 2020 qualifier won by England against Bulgaria saw racial outbursts, sparking outrage in the UK and European football bodies.
In July of this year, Johnson announced his intention to ban fans who use racial slurs online from stadiums.
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