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ENGLAND HELD AS HUNGARY FANS CLASH WITH POLICE AT WEMBLEY

England remain on course for World Cup qualification despite stumbling to a disappointing draw on a night when Hungary were once again let down by some of their fans.

Gareth Southgate’s undefeated side are on track to win Group I with only next month’s matches against Albania and minnows San Marino remaining on the road to Qatar.

But an exciting-looking England side struggled against Hungary, with John Stones cancelling out Roland Sallai’s penalty in a tepid 1-1 draw under the Wembley arch.

This qualifier will be remembered more for what happened off the pitch than on it, just a month on from racist abuse marring the two sides’ meeting in Budapest.

FIFA ordered Hungary to play two home matches behind closed doors, one suspended for two years, as punishment and further sanctions look set to follow after Tuesday’s match.

On a night when a banner was displayed in the away section opposing players taking the knee, the Metropolitan Police confirmed a spectator was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence for comments directed at a steward.

The police clashed with Hungarian fans and appeared to be pushed back into the concourse early in the first half, with the Football Association pledging to investigate the incident and report it to FIFA.

Tuesday had started in respectful fashion as Wembley stood and applauded in remembrance of England greats Roger Hunt and Jimmy Greaves.

But the mood soon changed and England fans booed the scenes unfolding in the away section, with attention turn to on-field matters in the ninth minute.

Jack Grealish and Luke Shaw combined superbly before the latter fired in a low cross that Harry Kane looked set to turn in beforer Zsolt Nagy’s timely challenge.

Hungary looked ready to break on the counter against the out-of-sync hosts, who fell behind for the first time in this qualification campaign in the 23rd minute.

Referee Alejandro Hernandez awarded a penalty after Luke Shaw caught Loic Nego with a high boot. Sallai sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the spot after the video assistant referee ratified the decision.

England were soon claiming a penalty of their own when Kane went down in the box and Grealish was unhappy about the roughness of some attention he was receiving.

But two Manchester City team-mates helped improve his mood in the 37th minute. Phil Foden, so impressive against Andorra on Saturday, sent in a free-kick from the right and Stones reacted to score at the far post when it was flicked on.

Grealish threatened a quickfire second and Foden sent over another free-kick, with Sterling having the chance to score in stoppage time only to fluff his lines after Peter Gulacsi saved his initial header.

The Hungary goalkeeper stopped a Sterling cross and held onto a Kane effort when play got under way after the break, with a Foden set-piece headed narrowly wide by Stones in the 62nd minute.

Fans were becoming frustrated and the decision to take off Grealish was not unanimously popular with the Wembley crowd, despite replacement Bukayo Saka getting a superb reception.

Kane threaded through Sterling but Gulacsi spread himself well to save, with the England skipper lashing off target as paper planes began to be aimed at the pitch.

Southgate took the bold decision to replace Kane and Sterling with Tammy Abraham and Jordan Henderson as the match entered the final 15 minutes.

Substitute Filip Holender bent over as Hungary looked to snatch a shock winner, with England failing in their attempts to grab a winner as late substitute Abraham limped off.

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FIFA PROBES RACIST ABUSE OF ENGLAND PLAYERS IN HUNGARY

After England players faced racial abuse in Hungary, FIFA said Friday it will take “adequate actions” once it has investigated the incidents.

The statement from FIFA stopped short of directly condemning Hungary fans for the abuse, which included monkey chanting, in Thursday night’s World Cup qualifier at Puskas Arena in Budapest. England won 4-0.

“FIFA strongly rejects any form of racism and violence and has a very clear zero tolerance stance for such behavior in football,” world soccer’s governing body said. ”FIFA will take adequate actions as soon as it receives match reports concerning yesterday’s Hungary-England game.”

Hungary had recently been ordered to play two matches without fans but the sanction from UEFA didn’t take effect for the visit of England because the game was under FIFA’s jurisdiction.

The racist abuse has been condemned by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been criticized for his own racially offensive comments in the past.

“It is completely unacceptable that England players were racially abused in Hungary last night,” Johnson said on Twitter. “I urge (FIFA) to take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behaviour is eradicated from the game for good.”

England’s players were jeered for taking a knee, pelted with plastic cups after goals and then targeted with alleged racist chants.

Pitch-side reporters for domestic broadcasters ITV and Sky Sports said they saw and heard individuals among the Hungary supporters behind one of the goals aim monkey chants at Raheem Sterling and unused substitute Jude Bellingham, who are Black. Sky Sports showed video footage of one spectator giving the abuse.

The game was played in front of a crowd of 60,000 mostly Hungarian fans about two months after UEFA ordered the team to play three matches without fans — one of which was suspended for a probationary period of two years — as a punishment for what was termed “discriminatory” behavior by its supporters at all three of its Euro 2020 group games.

Those behind-closed-doors games have to be in UEFA competition, though. World Cup qualifiers are organized by FIFA.

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EURO 2020: GORETZKA’S STRIKE IN DRAMATIC HUNGARY DRAW HELP GERMANY SECURE SECOND SPOT

Leon Goretzka’s late equaliser clinched Germany a 2-2 draw against Hungary and a second-placed Group F finish on a roller-coaster night in Munich.

Joachim Low’s side trailed 2-1 and appeared to be heading for their second group defeat, which would have left them third in the table, when substitute Goretzka fired them level in the 84th minute.

Adam Szalai’s early header had given Hungary a flying start and straight after Kai Havertz’s second-half equaliser for Germany, Andras Schafer headed the underdogs back in front.

Germany sealed second spot and will now play England in the round of 16 at Wembley on Tuesday, while Group F winners France, who drew 2-2 against Portugal, face Switzerland on Monday.

The game kicked off in pouring rain and following a controversial moment when a fan ran onto the pitch holding a rainbow flag in support of the LGBTQI+ community during Hungary’s national anthem.

After the game got under way, Joshua Kimmich tested Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with an early angled shot before Germany fell behind in the 11th minute.

Roland Sallai’s brilliant, arcing cross from deep bisected Germany defenders Kimmich and Mats Hummels and Szalai stooped to head beyond stationary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Germany responded through Hummels, who headed Kimmich’s cross following a corner against the crossbar.

Matthias Ginter was next to pass up a gilt-edged chance for the Germans as he failed to get full connection on a loose ball in front of goal.

Germany hogged first-half possession, but Hungary chased everything down as if their lives depended on it and Szalai threatened again shortly before the interval.

Low replaced Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan with Goretzka in a bid to add some urgency to his side, but the boos rang out as Leroy Sane over-hit his corner shortly afterwards.

Szalai was inches away from a second for Hungary when his free-kick after Sane had handled struck the outside of Neuer’s right-hand post.

Germany equalised in the 66th minute when Havertz headed home from close range after Gulacsi had failed to get anywhere near a looping free-kick into the box and the ball had struck Hummels on the head.

But the Germans were level for less than two minutes. Straight from the restart, Szalai helped on a long ball over the top and Schafer beat Neuer to the bounce to head Hungary back into the lead.

Germany chased another equaliser in a bid to snatch a Wembley date against England from Hungary’s grasp and Toni Kroos flashed a shot just wide in the 81st minute.

With the clock ticking down, Germany’s substitutes came to the rescue.

Jamal Musiala, who had replaced Robin Gosens two minutes earlier, fired a low cross into the box and after Timo Werner’s effort was blocked, Goretzka lashed home the rebound.

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EURO 2020: RONALDO HITS BRACE, MAKES RECORD IN 3-0 WIN OVER HUNGARY

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice to make history at Euro 2020 on Tuesday, making him the leading scorer in the Championship’s history with 11 goals in a men’s record fifth tournament appearance.

The Portugal captain overtook France great Michel Platini with his first goal in a 3-0 win over Hungary when he converted a penalty kick in the 87th minute. He rifled the ball into the corner of the net and set off for one of his trademark celebrations, which drew plenty of whistles from the capacity 67,000 mostly Hungarian fans at the Puskas Stadium in Budapest.

Ronaldo then scored his second on a tap-in as full-time approached, which overtook the records of Germany’s Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings, who both scored 10 at the women’s European Championship. The women’s tournament is scheduled every two years, compared with four years for the men’s equivalent.

The Juventus striker took his tally to 106 goals in 176 appearances for Portugal, three fewer than Iranian Ali Daei’s men’s record of 109 international goals. The record is held by Christine Sinclair of Canada, with 186 goals.

Ronaldo is the only man to score in five European Championship tournaments, extending his own record.

“It was a very difficult game but we got three goals. It was vital to win and start the tournament with confidence and now we want to keep on winning,” said Ronaldo.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos added: “If we’d scored earlier it would have been easier for us. We missed a few chances then had some anxious moments but found our composure again and finished the game well.”

Tuesday was cause for a double celebration for the Portugal talisman, who also set a men’s record for five Euros appearances. He first appeared at a European Championship in 2004 when he helped Portugal reached the final on home soil. He has played in every tournament since and scored in each.

Spain’s Iker Casillas was part of five La Roja squads from 2000 to 2016 but did not play in two of the tournaments, making Ronaldo the first man to be selected and play in five European Championships.

Italy’s Carolina Morace, who manages Lazio’s women’s team, holds the appearance record at the European Championships with six.

“This is my fifth European Championship but for me it feels as though it’s my first,” Ronaldo said ahead of Tuesday’s game.

There have been 17 men to appear at four European Championships, including Germany’s Lothar Matthaus and Denmark’s Peter Schmeichel.

Ronaldo also extended his own record of most appearances at the Euros, moving on to 22.

Ronaldo, who led Portugal to success at Euro 2016, broke another record by surpassing Spain duo Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas for most matches won in the tournament with 11.

Following his appearance against Hungary, Ronaldo is three games from breaking the record of 58 appearances in European competition (qualifying phase and finals), held by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

“Players who have longevity in football are those who can adapt,” Ronaldo said of the secret behind his long and successful career. “The numbers speak for themselves: I have adapted from 18 to 36. I always work to achieve things on a personal and collective level.”

Ronaldo completed his third season at Juve, scoring 36 goals in 44 appearances despite missing several games due to COVID-19. The former Real Madrid star was unable to help Juve go past the round of 16 of the Champions League and the Turin giants also failed to win the Serie A title, finishing fourth — 13 points behind Scudetto winners Inter Milan.

Ronaldo has a year left on his contract with Juventus but has not committed to the side and is expected to decide his future after the tournament is over. Portugal also take on France and Germany in Group F.

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HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER BACKS FANS WHO BOOED IRELAND PLAYERS TAKING THE KNEE

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban on Thursday said kneeling to protest against discrimination before sporting events was a custom related to slavery and alien to the central European country, adding that pressuring athletes everywhere to follow suit was “provocation.”

Hungary, one of 14 host nations to the upcoming Euro 2020 soccer championship, has been ruled for 11 years by hardline nationalist Orban, who has ruffled feathers with his tough anti-immigrant, nativist rhetoric in recent years.

Orban, who faces his toughest election challenge after three successive landslides against a united opposition next year, said Hungarian athletes were expected to “fight standing up”.

Hungarian fans booed the visiting Irish team for taking a knee before their recent game in Budapest, which Ireland coach Stephen Kenny said was “incomprehensible”.

Orban defended the fans, however.

“If you’re a guest in a country then understand its culture and do not provoke it,” Orban told a press conference. “Do not provoke the host… We can only see this gesture system from our cultural vantage point as unintelligible, as provocation.”

“The fans reacted the way those who are provoked usually react to provocation. They do not always choose the most elegant form [of reaction] but we have to understand their reasons… I agree with the fans.”

England manager Gareth Southgate has said his team would not “just stick to football” during Euro 2020 while one of his players said the squad was united in its stance against racial injustice despite jeers from some fans.

Orban said he had no sympathy for “this kneeling business. I don’t think this has any place on the pitch. Sport is about other things.”

He said the gesture spread as fast as it did because of a guilt that former slave-holding nations feel to the slaves’ descendants living amongst them, adding that Hungary never had slavery.

“This is a hard, serious moral burden, but every nation must carry this burden on their own,” Orban said. “They need to sort this out themselves.”