Polish police have asked Hungarian authorities to identify supporters who displayed anti‑Polish banners at the Raków‑Częstochowa vs. Maccabi Haifa match in Hungary, where an Israeli fan group hung a sign reading “Killers since 1939.” The incident has triggered statements from Polish officials, the Israeli embassy, and the Polish Football Association, all condemning the actions.
Polish police have appealed to Hungarian authorities to identify supporters who displayed anti‑Polish banners during the Raków Częstochowa v Maccabi Haifa match in Hungary, where Israeli fans hung a sign reading “Killers since 1939.”
Scandal at the Raków‑Maccabi match. Chief of MSWiA reacts
After yesterday’s despicable banners from Israeli fans in Debrecen, Polish police appealed to the Hungarian side for the possibility of identifying the perpetrators of the anti‑Polish display. We rely on assistance from Hungarian services, the chief of MSWiA said on X. In an earlier post, he stressed that “anti‑Polonism and the scandalous falsification of Poland’s history by Israeli fans demand stern condemnation.” He added, “There will never be any approval for such despicable practices.”
Statement from the Israeli embassy. “Despicable incidents”
During the match, Israeli supporters presented a banner on the stands that read “Killers since 1939” in English and damaged the Polish flag. The Israeli Embassy in Poland described the conduct as “odious.” “There is no place for such words and deeds, either in the stadium or elsewhere. These despicable incidents do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli fans,” the embassy said on X. The embassy also noted that it was gratifying that the Israeli Embassy in Poland had responded to the scandalous banner and expressed hope that Israeli youth are taught that in 1939 Hitler’s Germany attacked Poland and began murdering its citizens.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, replied that if Hungary assists in identifying those responsible, they will be banned from entering Poland. The Vice‑Prime Minister later informed that Hungary would receive a travel ban if it helped identify the offenders.
Reaction of the PZPN president
In response to the Israeli fans’ conduct, the president of the Polish Football Association announced an intervention with UEFA. “There is no allowance for provocations and falsifying history. We will urgently approach UEFA for a stand and to impose consequences for the scandalous banner and the offensive behavior on the stands during the Maccabi‑Raków match,” CEO Cezary Kulesza said on X.
