Israeli fans caused a scandal. Will UEFA punish Poles?
The scandal that occurred during Raków Częstochowa's match against Maccabi Haifa in the Conference League continues to resonate. The match gained not only notoriety but also the outrageous behavior of the Israeli fans, who directed numerous insults at the Poles. A banner reading "Murderers since 1939" also appeared in the stands.
Scandal during the match between Raków Częstochowa and Maccabi HaifaPolish politicians didn't have to wait long for a reaction. Karol Nawrocki didn't hide his outrage at the Maccabi Haifa fans' behavior. "The scandalous banner insults the memory of Polish citizens – victims of World War II, among whom were three million Jews. Stupidity that no words can explain," the president wrote on social media.
The Minister of National Defense, Ladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, expressed a similar sentiment. He emphasized that "there is no, and there will be no, consent to historical lies against Poland." The politician also demanded a decisive response from UEFA authorities.
The head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, said that " after the match in Debrecen, the police asked the Hungarian side to identify the perpetrators of hanging the scandalous banner ."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the behavior of the Israeli fans. In an official statement, it stated that "there is no place for violence and hate speech, neither inside nor outside sports stadiums." It added that "ministry representatives have already discussed this matter with the Israeli side."
The scandal in the stands did not escape the attention of Tom Rose, soon to be appointed U.S. ambassador to Poland. "As a proud American Jew and a staunch supporter of Israel, I am furious—disgusted, outraged, and ashamed—at this damning spectacle of anti-Polish hatred staged yesterday by Maccabi Haifa fans," the diplomat wrote. In the American's opinion, "this was not mere hooliganism, but a calculated act of slander."
"The behavior of some fans is appalling. Such words and actions, by any party, have no place in the stadium or anywhere else. These shameful incidents do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli fans, " reads a statement from the Israeli Embassy in Poland.
UEFA launches investigation. Will Raków Częstochowa be punished?Meanwhile, representatives of the sports world are demanding a decisive response from UEFA authorities . The proposals have been made public by, among others, Polish Football Association president Cezary Kulesza and Minister of Sport Jakub Rutnicki.
The Raków Częstochowa authorities have gone a step further, demanding Maccabi Haifa's exclusion from European competition next season. Club representatives emphasized that they "do not consent to the manipulation of history."
They also recalled the heroic attitude of Poles who saved Jews during World War II.
On August 15, UEFA issued a statement stating that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated not only against the Israeli club, but also against the Ekstraklasa team.
The statement noted that the charges against Maccabi Haifa include "inappropriate team conduct" and "communicating a message inappropriate for a sporting event." The latter accusation is also directed at Marek Papszun's team.
Will UEFA exclude Israel from the competition?In this context, it's worth recalling that the presence of Israeli athletes in world competitions has been controversial. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Russians were barred from participating in most tournaments. Meanwhile, Israel will not impose any further sanctions for the attacks in the Gaza Strip.
On the Slovenian program "Odmevi," the UEFA president was asked why Israel wasn't treated the same as Russia . Aleksander Ceferin gave a very evasive answer.
He replied that "in principle, I'm not in favor of suspending athletes, but in this case, sport is heavily mixed with politics." "The war has been going on for three years, athletes are suspended, and the situation is worse than it was. I know there are many opponents of the regime there, but they still can't play," he said.
Later in the conversation, Aleksander Ceferin added that "in his opinion, every athlete should have the right to compete and political problems should be solved in a different way."
Read also: Robert Lewandowski's fate hangs in the balance. Surprising reports from Barcelona! Read also: Polish fans attacked! Shocking footage has surfaced online.
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