Grave desecration in Europe
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Hungary: Soccer team fined for fans’ anti-Semitism
Hungarian soccer federation fines team whose fans chanted anti-Semitic slurs during league match, suspends referee for failing to take action
Hungary's soccer federation has fined a team whose fans chanted anti-Semitic slurs during a league match and suspended the game's referee for failing to take action.
Ujpest FC was on Tuesday fined 5 million forints (USD 19,700 - 23,250) by the Hungarian Football Federation's disciplinary committee, while referee Csaba Sapi was suspended from officiating games until March 1, 2006.
Representatives of Hungary's Jewish community last week protested against the anti-Semitic slurs chanted by Ujpest fans during a game on Nov. 26 against MTK Budapest, which has Hungarian Jewish roots.
Sapi's punishment was the result of new disciplinary measures affecting game officials. The federation said Sapi should have warned the fans about the racist chants and suspended the game if the abusive behavior continued.
While Hungary's soccer teams are off during most of the coming winter months, Sapi will still miss out on several league and Hungarian Cup games, the federation said.
