Ferencváros Fans: Austria Defends Itself Against Accusations

A special train with "Fradi" fans was stopped at the Austrian border on October 23. Hungary's Foreign Minister subsequently summoned Austria's ambassador to his ministry.

Hungary: "Outrageous and scandalous"

The incident occurred on the day of the Europa League football match in Salzburg between Red Bull Salzburg and Ferencváros, to which the fans were traveling. The Hungarian club blamed the Austrian Interior Ministry for the stoppage of the special train on its website and criticized it heavily. The president of Ferencváros is Gábor Kubatov, a politician from Hungary's ruling Fidesz party. "This decision reminds us of the time of Austrian oppression!" he posted on Facebook. Foreign Minister Szijjártó described the actions on social media as "outrageous and scandalous."

Karner expressed himself in a letter

In his letter, Karner reiterated that the Austrian authorities had not refused entry to the Ferencváros fans. Rather, the railway - the special train was operated by the Hungarian railway MAV - no longer saw the safety of the travelers as guaranteed due to the repeated use of pyrotechnics by the fans during the journey and therefore refused transportation. "Through the consistent intervention of the Hungarian police, it was possible to prevent obviously violent football hooligans from disrupting a peaceful football match," the letter continued.

"The previous cooperation with the Hungarian authorities has always been professional and trustworthy - and I am convinced that this will remain so in the future," emphasized Karner. "Therefore, I expect you to refrain from spreading false reports against the Austrian security authorities."

(APA/Red)

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