Hungarian FM Condemns Zabrze Hooligan Attack as Injured Fan Hospitalized

Following a violent attack by masked hooligans on Hungarian football fans in Zabrze ahead of a Europa League match, Hungary’s Foreign Minister slammed the incident as shocking and unacceptable.

Statement from the Hungarian Foreign Ministry

Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Orban announced that she spoke with the Hungarian Consul General in Krakow and confirmed that an injured Hungarian citizen is currently hospitalized with a broken shinbone.

“I strongly condemn all forms of violence. A sporting event should be a shared experience and under no circumstances can it become an arena of violence,” she wrote in a social media post published on Thursday, August 13.

Support and Diplomatic Monitoring

Orban reported that investigators have identified suspects and questioned Hungarian citizens, though none have filed a criminal complaint. Polish officers are being supported by police personnel deployed from Hungary.

“Two buses of fans organized by FTC (Ferencvaros) are expected to arrive at the stadium today around 17:00, where the Consul General will be waiting for them,” Orban wrote, adding that the embassy and consular service remain fully available and will continuously monitor the situation.

Attack in Central Zabrze

The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 12, at a pizzeria in the center of Zabrze, ahead of the third-round Europa League qualifying match between Gornik Zabrze and Hungary’s Ferencvaros, scheduled for Thursday, August 13.

Junior Aspirant Sebastian Bijok of the Zabrze Municipal Police Headquarters stated that the duty officer received a report about a group of masked individuals and hooligans gathering outside a restaurant at the intersection of de Gaulle and Wolnosci streets, where Hungarian nationals were staying.

The people inside the venue barricaded themselves as objects were thrown toward the restaurant and the group of hooligans allegedly used handheld pepper spray canisters, according to the police officer.

No arrests have been made at this time. Bijok added that the restaurant is demolished and that one Hungarian man reported he broke his leg after falling while trying to escape by jumping over a fence, marking him as the sole injured person, while witnesses estimate there were between 50 and 100 attackers, a figure police advise treating with caution.