Pranav Nair
Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire admits disappointment over racist chants hurled at England players
According to Sky Sports, Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire has opened up on the racist abuse England players had to face during their trip to Hungary.
With England fans unable to make the trip, over 60,000 Magyar fans thronged the Ferenc Puskas Arena to create a very hostile atmosphere. It was, however, marred by racist chants aimed at England players and managed to take the sheen off a wonderful performance by the Three Lions.
The Hungarian faithful descended a chorus of boos as the England players took a knee to protest racial injustice. It set an unsavoury precedent for what was to come.
Raheem Sterling was booed throughout the clash and also subjected to monkey chants. It threatened to reach new heights when plastic beer glasses were launched by fans toward the England star. Teammate Declan Rice responded by drinking out of one of the cups.
A flare was thrown onto the pitch near where Harry Maguire was, thankfully nobody was hurt. Sterling, to his credit, responded to the taunts on the field and broke the deadlock on the night.
Skipper Harry Kane doubled the lead in the 63rd minute before Maguire himself headed in a Luke Shaw assist to make the score 3-0. Declan Rice rounded off the night with a late strike to make it 4-0 at full time.
Maguire, for his part, admits he could not hear the racist chants himself. The 28-year-old goes on to add that he hopes the guilty will be punished.
“It’s extremely disappointing and i hope they will be punished”
Jude Bellingham was also subjected to racist chants on the night. Hungary manager Marco Rossi urged the local fans to behave themselves before the match. That request appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Clearly, hate trumps love.
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England responded in the best way possible by thrashing Hungary in front of their own fans. The Three Lions are now one step closer to qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Hopefully, there will not be such untoward incidents at the showpiece event.
