WHEN ETHNIC TENSIONS, FOOTBALL, AND YOUTUBE MIX: AN INTERNET AUTOPSY OF THE COUNTDOWN TO THE CLASH BETWEEN HUNGARIAN FANS AND SLOVAK POLICE AT THE 1 NOVEMBER 2008 DAC DUNASZERDAHELY – SLOVAN BRATISLAVA MATCH by Richard Andrew Hall, Ph.D.

and here as a word file:

dszh 121608tk1

Kockázatos! A szlovák rendőrök javaslatára a DAC-Slovan meccs elhalasztva
2009. szeptember 10. 21:50 | Forrás: MTI

nyomtat | elküld

Biztonsági okokra hivatkozva elhalasztották a DAC Dunaszerdahely-Slovan Bratislava mérkőzést, a szlovákiai labdarúgó bajnokság 9. fordulójának találkozóját, amelynek vasárnap kellett volna sorra kerülnie Dunaszerdahelyen – közölték csütörtökön Pozsonyban.

A szlovák labdarúgó bajnokság vezetése az országos rendőr-főkapitányság ajánlására hozta meg döntését. A mérkőzés új időpontját később állapítják meg.

A bajnoki mérkőzés elhalasztása nyilvánvalóan összefüggésben van azzal a feszültséggel, amely az utóbbi hetekben és hónapokban a magyar-szlovák kapcsolatokban megnyilvánul.

A dunaszerdahelyi együttest Szlovákiában “magyar csapatnak” tartják, s szurkolói aránylag gyakran szigorú rendőri fellépéseket kénytelenek elviselni. Nemrég Nyitrán “Halál a magyarokra!” jelszó skandálásával fogadták a dunaszerdahelyieket, s az indulatokat csak a mérkőzést vezető bíró és a rendezők határozott fellépése csitította le.

Magyarország és Szlovákia között komoly feszültségeket okozott, amikor 2008 november elsején Dunaszerdahelyen a helyi labdarúgó csapat és a pozsonyi Slovan bajnoki mérkőzésén – amelyre mintegy ezer magyarországi szurkoló is elutazott – kommandósok hatoltak be a magyar szurkolók szektorába, s a kemény fellépés következtében több sérültet kórházba kellett vinni. Aznap magyar szurkolók szlovák zászlót égettek a budapesti szlovák nagykövetség előtt.

Tíz napja a DAC-stadion adott helyt a szlovákiai magyarok nyelvtörvény elleni országos tüntetésének, amelyen több mint tízezer ember vett részt.

Completed 16 December 2008; cleared and originally published late January 2009

WHEN ETHNIC TENSIONS, FOOTBALL, AND YOUTUBE MIX:

AN INTERNET AUTOPSY OF THE COUNTDOWN TO THE CLASH

BETWEEN HUNGARIAN FANS AND SLOVAK POLICE AT THE 1 NOVEMBER 2008

DAC DUNASZERDAHELY – SLOVAN BRATISLAVA MATCH

by Richard Andrew Hall, Ph.D.

Standard Disclaimer:  All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or any other U.S. Government agency.  Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. Government authentication of information or CIA endorsement of the author’s views.  This material has been reviewed by CIA to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

I am an intelligence analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency.  I have been a CIA analyst since 2000.  Prior to that time, I had no association with CIA outside of the application process. I do not work and have not worked on Hungary or Slovakia at the Agency.

It sounds like a testament to the wonders and integrative potential of globalization…and yet it also sounds like the opening to a bad riddle:

The DAC (Dunajská Streda/ Dunaszerdahely Athletic Club) soccer team in Slovakia is owned by a Dubai billionaire who is an Austrian citizen of Iranian origin (Dr. Khashayar Mohseni). The team’s roster includes six Cameroonians, three Croatians, several Arabs playing on either German or French passports, some Czechs, Slovaks, three Slovak Hungarians and two Hungarians from Hungary proper (Csaba Regedei and Zoltán Vasas). The coach is a German, Werner Lorant. In the locker room a Turkish born masseur serves as translator and speaks several world languages. Ján Novota, the goalkeeper, says he directs his team’s defense in four languages: Slovak, Hungarian, German, and English.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[1]<!–[endif]–>

Yet on 1 November 2008 in Dunajská Streda (Dunaszerdahely), Slovakia, there was a football riot…of a sort. Based on the above description and particularly the tensions that have played out in recent years in stadiums in Spain and France, one might think that the spark for the conflict could have been racism toward the Cameroonians or anti-Muslim or anti-Arab suspicion directed against the Persian owner or the Arab players. But, no, despite the broader globalized context of the DAC team, this football politics was eminently local, or at the very least regional: a flashpoint and manifestation of deteriorating ethnic Slovak – ethnic Hungarian relations.

According to various reports, 50 people were wounded and seen by medical personnel, six (five of them Hungarians) were taken to the local hospital, and one person was transported by helicopter for treatment in the capital, Bratislava (contrary to initial and sometimes hysterical posts on the Internet, this individual did not die). The overwhelming majority of those who were injured appear to have been ethnic Hungarian, either from Slovakia or from neighboring Hungary proper.

After the 17 minute mark of the match, helmeted black-clad Slovak riot police intervened in the “Hungarian sector” of the stadium which was supporting the local team, DAC—Dunajská Streda (Dunaszerdahely), located in southwestern Slovakia near the Slovak-Hungarian border, is 80 % ethnic Hungarian. The Slovak police herded the DAC supporters to one side of the bleachers—the crush of humanity, with people jumping from the stands to escape the stampede, was vaguely reminiscent of scenes from the May 1985 Heysel tragedy in Brussels, as noted by some Internet posters.

The catalyst for the police intervention remains in dispute. According to one of the few English language reports relating the incident, AFP, “local fans started to throw stones and the match had to be interrupted due to violence after 17 minutes.” DAC supporters on the Internet have maintained that the intervention was essentially unprovoked, while the Slovak authorities and media have in some cases sought to suggest that some of the “rowdies” (aka hooligans) among the Hungarians who traveled to Slovakia for the match physically assaulted the riot police. As most video footage of the police-fan confrontation posted on the youtube site begin after this event, and those that claim to have captured it are not conclusive, it remains a subject of speculation and recrimination.

One thing is for sure from reading the Internet: this clash was both foreseeable—if not necessarily inevitable—and has had broad ramifications inside both Slovakia and Hungary. Whether or not “1 November” proves to be a “watershed”—as some Hungarian posters claim or attempt to brand the event on the Internet—is a matter of time, and can probably really only be accurately assessed after much more of it has passed. Nevertheless, make no mistake: ethnic Hungarians are attaching significance to this event. Already on the evening of 1 November—significantly, if serendipitously “All Saints Day,” a day of mourning—the Hungarian (nationalist) hip-hop artist FankaDeli (Ferenc Kőházy) had posted a song entitled “1 November” on youtube and other Internet sites, spawning many supportive comments among ethnic Hungarian posters, even among those who stated that they don’t like the genre of music, or even the music of this video, but were deeply affected by the nationalist lyrics.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[2]<!–[endif]–>

This article is mostly about the run-up to the 1 November 2008 match, in other words the making of the conflict. It reflects three possible limitations that I wish to recognize at the outset: 1) I can read Hungarian and can recognize some basic slavic constructions but do not know Slovak and thus for the most part have been unable to access Slovak sites and bulletin boards; 2) this study was performed post facto (the first I learned of the match and its events was, like many, Monday 3 November 2008) and thus my search of what happened on sites on 1 November 2008 and in the weeks and months prior was conducted after the events of 1 November 2008; and 3) in order to conform with contemporary Agency regulations, their interpretation and application, I am unable to discuss much of the political context and fallout that has surrounded these events. This short article then is designed to be purely informational, rather than political or editorial. It will thus have some discussion of immediate, direct fallout from the match, but not of broader Slovak-Hungarian political and governmental relations.

25 July 2008: DAC – Spartak Trnava I

Already back in the summer, with the beginning of the new Slovak football season, there were expressions of concern over fears of violence at Dunaszerdahely matches. DAC, which had a storied history from the mid-1980s to late 1990s, was returning to the top Slovak football division for the first time since 2000.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[3]<!–[endif]–> The 25 July 2008 match between DAC and Spartak Trnava (referred to as Nagyszombati Szpartak by Hungarians, although Trnava is 97% Slovak) led to debate over whether there should be an alcohol ban in parts of Dunaszerdahely on the day of the match. Despite the fact that the “wildest fanatical Spartak fan club had been disbanded in May [an apparent reference to the ultras spartak group],” even some of those who had a commercial interest in selling alcohol—restaurant and bar owners—advocated for a ban on alcohol sales because of memories of a previous visit by Spartak Trnava supporters back in the 1990s (according to one owner, he and his son had been attacked and he claimed a young girl had been thrown by the “Nagyszombati hooligans” from a train). <!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[4]<!–[endif]–>

The first DAC-Spartak Trnava match ended going off without major incident—DAC won 3-0—but one can see the helmeted, black-clad Slovakian riot police posted at the base of the stands of both DAC and Spartak supporters and intervening against rowdy fans on several occasions.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[5]<!–[endif]–> The match, however, was interrupted for about ten minutes when a Spartak fan ripped a Hungarian flag out of the hands a DAC supporter, and proceeded to parade around the field with it, followed in pursuit by the DAC supporter, until the Spartak fan ripped the Hungarian flag apart.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[6]<!–[endif]–> Although the Slovak football authorities said they were looking into the event because “football hooliganism knows no nationality,” the leader of the Slovak Nationalist Party, Ján Slota, called the Dunaszerdahely stadium “the citadel of Hungarian nationalism and chauvinism,” while the party’s deputy Anna Belousova called for the Dunaszerdahely club to be kept out of the champions’s league. <!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[7]<!–[endif]–>

Countdown to Kick-off: The Weeks Leading up to the 1 November DAC-Slovan Match

‘GETTING READY’: A Hungarian Poster Stirs the Pot with Youtube Videos…

On 29 September 2008, Zsozsi1980, who lists himself as 28 years old and from Hungary, posted a video on Youtube announcing three upcoming sporting events of apparent interest.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[8]<!–[endif]–> One was a women’s handball match in Slovakia involving Budapest’s Ferencváros team<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[9]<!–[endif]–>, one was a men’s ice hockey match in Romania involving Budapest’s Ferencváros team, and one did not involve a Ferencváros club directly: the 1 November DAC – Slovan match in Dunajská Streda (Dunaszerdahely). Extended clips of the aforementioned incident at the 25 July match when a Spartak fan absconded across the field with a Hungarian flag accompanied the announcement of the 1 November football match. The video bore in Hungarian the nationalist introduction “Homeland Above All Else” and ended with the times and places of the three events along with the headings “In Hungary’s Honor” and “Attack.”

Although Zsozsi1980 had only posted a handful of videos to the Youtube site since registering earlier in the summer, he has apparently been posting prolifically under his other handle Zsozsi80. Zsozsi80 who also lists himself as 28 years old is an unabashed fanatic of the Ferencváros (Fradi) football and sports clubs. He posts mostly soccer videos of the Ferencváros team, but he also posts videos of rallies of various radical right groups in Hungary and musical performances from the far right youth scene.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[10]<!–[endif]–> He is without a doubt, a proud ultra(s)-nationalist and he appears to be particularly focused on Slovakia.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[11]<!–[endif]–>

In early October, under the Zsozsi80 handle, he posted several videos of an infamous 1992 match involving Ferencváros and played in Bratislava, where Slovak riot police appeared to go on a rampage against the Hungarian fans—as one of the commentators says from the live Hungarian Television broadcast of the time “it’s not good to be a Hungarian over in that area right now.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[12]<!–[endif]–>

Then on 19 October 2008, Zsozsi1980 posted a video with a driving techno beat entitled “Are You Ready??????” The subject of that question becomes clear in the video: the DAC Dunaszerdahely – Slovan Bratislava match of 1 November 2008. Zsozsi1980, is, not unexpectedly, supporting DAC in that match-up, as becomes clear from the video. The match was to be, as we find from news reports, the first meeting of the two teams since 1999, so there was much expectation.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[13]<!–[endif]–>

You could tell where this was all going with comments on the aesthetics of the video. To the comment “this video is like economy in hungary terrible,” a poster retorted, “ your comment is like cultur [sic.] and history in slotakia [a pun on Slovakia and the Slovak nationalist leader Slota]: empty.” [After the match, which Slovan Bratislava won 4-0, presumably Slovaks gleefully posted: “slovan- duc mongolska streda [instead of dac dunajska streda, puns on the Asian origins of Hungarians] 4:0 hahahaha parasztok [peasants in Hungarian] dac fans,” and playing directly on the title of the video, “WE WAS READY! HAHAHA.”] The video’s comment section would contain many other interesting and revealing exchanges—by turns profane, moronic, ugly, surprising, and even on occasion, humorous despite the subject matter—in the days and weeks to come. For example<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[14]<!–[endif]–>…

Calls to Attend the Match and Attendant Threats

greetings slovak slaves, your masters from budapest will visit you on 1 November

have_ you monkie passport?mongols back to asia!!!!!

respect your hungarian masters you [expletive deleted] slave or we will [expletive deleted you up like_ in 1848, 1919, 1938 or 1939 you [expletive deleted] historyless prideless [expletive deleted] slave. slovakia = 15 years old history, they were always slaves of Hungarians

I wish it were Saturday already…Let’s Go Already!!!
[Expletive deleted] Szlovákia! [translated from Hungarian]

Ferencváros to rule the Slovan.
Hungarians to show them who is the boss.

We are already united, now to triumph!!!

Everybody to [Duna]Szerdahely!!!!

Homeland Above All Else!!! [translated from Hungarian]

Listen, I have had it up to here with all this crap that we should be friends with the “toths” [derogatory term for Slovaks]. I am ashamed because I am proud to be Hungarian, and I don’t want to have to be anybody’s conational, because I am pure [Hungarian], and that is why they are afraid, those who kiss Slovak [expletives deleted]! [translated from the Hungarian]

I am going on Saturday and I won’t be afraid to deal out a few “mongol” slaps! [from the Hungarian…he is sarcastically employing the “mongol” epithet used earlier by an apparent Slovak poster]

Összetartás! Kitartás! [Unity! Perseverance! Old Hungarian radical right rallying cries]

The “mongol” epithet is the favorite cutting slogan of the toths, vlachs, and the rac [“tót, oláh, rác”…in order, Hungarian derogatory terms for Slovaks, Romanians, and Serbs]. Only problem is we have no connection to the Mongols. We have been accustomed to dealing out Hungarian slaps, since we came to Europe in the 600s. ; [from the Hungarian]

Natrually, I was being sarcastic [from the Hungarian]

On 22 October 2008, another video asking “Are You Ready?” was posted under the heading “DAC Slovan” by a DACHooligans0.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[15]<!–[endif]–> While some of the postings were similar, the discussion on this page moved on to the issues of organizing, transport, logistics and intentions, as follows:

greetings slovak slaves, your masters from budapest will visit you on 1 November [the handle “socialdarwinist” again]

RIA RIA MONGOLIA…. [A defamatory Slovak retort to the chant of Hungarian fans “RIA RIA HUNGARIA”]

you should show respect to your hungarian masters

We are coming from Győr, and we want to know how many are going and from where. 11 am we will parade on the Saint Stephen square. [from Hungarian]

Guys! Don’t write specifics here, and schedules will be on the open forums! Rather let’s discuss such things in private. Let’s not help the vermin [from Hungarian]

But before the matter of DAC-Slovan, there was an intervening football match.

25 October 2008: Spartak Trnava – DAC II

The Spartak Trnava –DAC rematch took place in Trnava three months to the day after the first meeting in Dunaszerdahely. The rematch ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was what transpired in the stands that made the most news. The correspondent for Felvidék Ma referred to the DAC team and its 300 supporters in the stands as having found themselves in “hell.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[16]<!–[endif]–> The Spartak Trnava supporters had a huge banner that said “Destroy (Exterminate) them.” There were chants of “Death to the Hungarians,” “Hungarians to the Gas Chambers,” and “Hungarians into the Danube!” Another banner proclaimed “You are not Hungarians, just homeless upcountry people! („Nem magyarok vagytok, csak felvidéki hontalanok!”)”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[17]<!–[endif]–> But the event that might have been the tipping point for those who were to pour across the border from Hungary a week later for the DAC-Slovan match, was the burning of a Fradi jersey.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[18]<!–[endif]–>

One Hungarian poster declared on his blog:

Enough already!

The time has come now when I have lost all patience with the Slovaks. I can’t be patient any longer and I ask that the liberals understand that! I was going to write about something else, but I just saw the news that these lowlife thieves set a Fradi jersey on fire during the Dunaszerdahely-Spartak Trnava championship soccer match. And it wasn’t the first time something like this has happened. Last year a nagyszombat [Spartak Trnava] supporter set a Hungarian flag on fire! And now here is the essence of it all (result): will they be penalized, will they be told off? NO! Will the Slovak leadership try to denounce similar actions? NO! Are Slovak leaders egging on the Slovaks to do such things? YES! Will the European Union criticize them for these actions? NO! Is the Hungarian government capable of taking steps against this? NO!<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[19]<!–[endif]–> [from the Hungarian]

Additionally, after the events of 1 November 2008, posters harked back to the 25 October match as justifying the road-trip of fans from Hungary proper to Dunaszerdahely for the following match. For example,

“When they had a Spartak Trnava – DAC match, the Spartak fans were shouting things like that: “Kill the Hungarians and drop them to the Danube.” And they were burning a Ferencváros T-shirt. THIS is the reason why Hungarian fans went there to support DAC. And the police attacked them. That’s what happened.”

“THE FIRST STEP WAS THE SPARTAK TRNAVA – DAC MATCH. Spartak fans were burning a FERENCVAROS t-shirt and yelling things like this: “Let’s kill the Hungarians and drop them to the Danube!” Thats why FERENCVAROS fans went to Dunaszerdahely last Saturday!”

Zsolt Bede, who describes himself as “a Hungarian, a Christian, and a Fradi supporter” also recounted after the 1 November events that he had been among the approximately 100 Hungarians (mostly Ferencváros with some (Székes)fehérvár and Újpest fans) who had traveled to Slovakia for the match, claiming that “neither then did we go to fight but because some Csallóköz (region around Dunaszerdahely) Fradi supporters asked us to come to support the Hungarian DAC team.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[20]<!–[endif]–> According to Bede, the week after the match, “we prepared in Hungary…For their part, the Slovaks put the clip of the burning of the Fradi jersey on Youtube and claimed Czech and Polish football fan clubs were going to come to the DAC-Slovan [1 November] match to strengthen the Slovak side.”

It is possible that a video egging on Slovan fans and Slovaks and showing the burning of the Fradi jersey had at one time been on Youtube, but interestingly my post DAC-Slovan [1 November 2008] searches–using the search terms “DAC Slovan” and “Spartak Trnava Dunajska Streda”–do not turn up any such video. The Hungarian news agency MTI reported on 31 October the same rumor–that Czech and Polish hooligans were planning to swell the ranks of the Bratislava Slovan supporters–so I assume there must have been something to it. An article in the Hungarian sports media was even more specific, claiming that the “hooligans” in question were fans of the Polish club, Ruch Chorzów, and the Czech club, Brno.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[21]<!–[endif]–> And, indeed, after much searching, I did find on the http://www.ultrasgang.eu site two articles, “1.11.2008″ (29 October 2008) and “Fanúšikovia Ferencvárosu organizujú výjazd na Slovan” (18 October 2008) that would appear to fit this bill. The first appears to claim/warn that Fradi and other supporters of “Greater Hungary” were making their travel to the 1 November match a focal point and challenge, while the second earlier posting shows the aforementioned Zsozsi1980 video from 29 September 2008 and an article entitled “On Tour Dunaszerdahely” which ends with the motto “This is Why We are the National Team!” In the comment section of the second ultrasgang posting, it appears forum participants are discussing precisely the travel of Ruch Chorzów and Brno supporters to bolster Slovan representation at the match. All of this tends to suggest, however, that they were responding to the (already-underway) Fradi effort to organize an expedition from Hungary to the DAC – Slovan 1 November showdown.

It is worth raising the question, however, whether the Fradi videos promoting attendance at the coming DAC-Slovan match, and the Ultras site response (18 October 2008), gave the Spartak Trnava fans a target on which to fix their emotions: not just a Hungarian flag this time, but a Fradi jersey! On Hungarian-posted Youtube videos, the burning of the Fradi jersey clearly became a rallying cry, a focal point of outrage that called for a response. The jersey burning was thus of only passing fancy it would appear to Slovak nationalists and other Slavic football thugs, whereas it became a cause celebre for Hungarians, especially Fradi supporters and nationalists.

Organizing for A Road-Trip

On the same day as photos of the Fradi jersey burning at the Spartak Trnava-DAC match were showing up on nationalist Hungarian sites [27 October 2008], efforts to organize Hungarians to travel to Slovakia for the coming weekend’s DAC-Slovan Bratislava were underway. Rock musicians and concert promoters Gábor Gőbl and Balázs Sziva announced a “patriotic program”—featuring the bands Hungarica and Romantikus Erőszak—for the Saturday 1 November 2008 match in Dunaszerdahely with the following flourish:

In the fall of 1938, the NATION was unified and in a feverish state. After the victories of the Rongyos Gárda (1921 Western Hungarian uprising) for a second time our homeland succeeded to be compensated for the Trianon injustice. The first Vienna decision [8 November 1938] for the most part restored the just northern border [of the country]. The 85% Hungarian majority of the region after a 20 year occupation had finally returned to Hungary.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[22]<!–[endif]–>[from the Hungarian]

The appeal ended with logistical information, especially concerning the two buses that were to leave Sopron (on the border with Austria) and Budapest and the stops they might make upon the way to collect fans. The Hungarica and Romantikus Erőszak was scheduled to follow the game and bore the motto: “Home(land) Before Everything!” [the poster was in both Hungarian and Slovak, although the motto was in Hungarian only]. The concert organizers called upon “fan clubs, friendship societies, and defenders of tradition association members [perhaps a euphemism for members of Hungarian far-right groups] to come to stand together for the nation!” and requested that they spread the word to other “patriots.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[23]<!–[endif]–>

Dialogue of the Deaf, Monologues of the Mute

We can get a sense for the climate that awaited fans in the Dunaszerdahely stadium that coming Saturday by looking back at the aforementioned Youtube sites. The commentary there was and is timeless in a sense. We look at them now.

Back to “Comparative Histories -101”

…Ensuring the Reader Will Be Stupider for Having Read These [from “Are You Ready????”]

slovak history = 15 years old
slovaks were always slaves of hungarians, you don’t have history,_ you never won a battle, slovakia = god’s joke

we are not aggressive nation, Huns only desire is Aggression…

“we are not aggressive nation, Huns only desire is Aggression…”
therefore the police beat hungarians till they almost died without any reason? and the same happened in 92 [a reference to Slovak police beating Fradi fans in Bratislava at a 1992 match]. you idiot

Slovak history = longer than hungarian history. yes, we were your slaves and now we are free and you have economical problems, because you are stupid…

slovak history longer than hungarian??:D:D:D why don’t you have own culture, popular customs, flag, language?? cause you’re a thief “nation” like gypsies, or other low races! you have mythology not history! you will be slaves for the end of time cause it’s in your gene, in your blood!;)

Hungarians DID have an alphabet before they came to Central Europe in 896. It is called “rovásírás”.
Cyril and Metód never been to slovakia, it is a LIE claimed only by your manipulating idiotic historians.
Hungarians have got nothing to do with Mongols, it’s another LIE created by your filthy drunkard politician ján slota.
Even if our ancestors were Mongolians, I would be proud of it, because they ruled half of Asia.

Slovak people were analphabets [i.e. illiterates] until the 19th century.
You didn’t have a clearly developed language, it was just an eastern branch of Czech.
Slovak intelligence [i.e. intelligentsia] appeared only in the 18th-19th century which was represented by some nationalist priests. Their numbers weren’t serious.

Don’t you understand that your history is an ugly fiction made up by your historians in order to strenghten nationalism in your historyless nation???? HUH???!

you poor [expletive deleted]. Wake from your feudal-socialist-colonial let[h]argy. It is 21st century. All former “big” countries woke up, like Portugal, Holland, UK……Only you are still living in a 16th century dream, that surrounded states will work for you as they did for at least 700 years. You got financial help …days ago. use it wisely…or just bankcrupt. Finally.

Mocskosok magyarok nincsen hazzátok!!!!
Spartak Trnava 4ever, long live Ján Slota!!!

If we don’t have any home where you live it is because you stole it from us…but I am not in the mood to hold history class here. [from the Hungarian]

Where do you get off [poster’s name] uttering a Hungarian word out of your mouth? Did you exhume your mother? Did you cut her tongue out? You stinking outhouse [expletive deleted]…like so many of your wild animal “friends”…you punks…scram…SLOVAKS have no home!!! [from the Hungarian]

My Hungarian Brothers!

Don’t bother the “toths” [derogatory Hungarian term for Slovaks “totok”], aren’t they unfortunate enough already to have no minds and to be stupid?

Don’t provoke them, extend your hand to them, unfortunately we can’t give it to them but at least we can drink a beer together!

I believe in God,

I believe in the the Homeland,

I believe in a divine Eternal truth,

I believe in the Resurrection of Hungary

Amen [translated from Hungarian]

Magyars, you are the most isolated nation in the world. You don’t have any choice, only to be aggresive. You are on a good way to selfdestruction. Magyarization time is over !!!
The original genes of Huns are already dead!

yes you are right I would never go because of football to Hungary for several reasons:
1. your football has no quality (your origin is asian so you playing very similarly like majority of asians)
2. you are very aggressive nation (I have seen some videos from budapest demonstrations with molotov coc[k]tails, fire…even tank)…for slovakia is something like this unbelievable (mentally we are completly different).
3. you still need some time to adapt yourself mentally in Europe region

A Bit of Comic Relief???: “I had a pony…we all had ponies…Who leaves a pony country for a non-pony country?”

1001 Hungary
1991 Slovakia
no comment…

Hungary 1001???? before 1001 gypsy homeless mongols on little ponnies [sic.] from asia with no culture which has stolen our land!!!!
That´s the history of hungaria-mongolia!!!!

historyless barefoot slave!!!!
there was insignificant tribe (Moravia is Czech history thief) and your ancestors were kneeling in front of what u call “gipsy homeless asians with ponni”

Appeals to Reason…Drowned Out

On these sites, it was not surprising that well-meaning level-headed efforts to intervene, fell mainly upon deaf ears.

Voices of Reason and Calls for Cooler Heads to Prevail…Don’t Last Long [from “DAC-Slovan” and then “Are You Ready?”]

Now everybody! We want to watch football, and whoever is not preparing for that in DS [Dunaszerdahely], rather stay home! And you HU [Hungarian] Hungarians, don’t come here to brawl, we don’t need it. You go home, and then we have to bear the consequences…Thanks! [from the Hungarian]

We hope that you will see that we HU [Hungarian] Hungarians won’t make trouble, but it was your Slovak police who in 1992 stormed Hungarian fans for no reason! Therefore, you should rejoice that several thousand supporters from the motherland will be there to support you, since nobody else can or will? [from the Hungarian]

that must really hurt… first the Trianon, then decades of frustration, now the economy collapsing so you have to take a loan from IMF that was originally designed for third world countries, forint falling just like pengo few decades ago… And you even lost this match to Slovan… Poor you… At least you can scream your pathetic “Slovakia is hungary, Bratislava is Pozsony”… I really feel sorry for you our hungarian friends…

and

Enough already boys, don’t come here to “party”! I hope that you won’t go to the match and won’t fight and act foolish, because that will hurt DAC’s play! Be smart, leave the provocations at home, let us watch a good match!!! Here the game is the most important thing, not who is what nationality! AM I BEING CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YOU???? My thanks to the intelligent readers for their understanding. [translated from Hungarian]

Slovakians, you don’t have history, and you want to speak about origin… it’s funny… and who started provocation?? who burned a Fradi shirt??? i give you the answer, slovan’s (vagy mi a faszom neve van a csapatnak [“or whatever the hell is the name of the team”…he means Spartak Trnava]) burned the Fradi shirt, and it’s prvocating [sic.]!!

The Day of the Match Arrives: All Saints Day 2008

It was clear by the morning of 1 November 2008 that Slovak authorities and the Dunaszerdahely football club had prepared for the possibility of problems at the DAC-Slovan match that afternoon. News reports before the match spoke of 800 police, including officers on horseback and commandos, having been dispatched to Dunajska Streda, and first responders were available in the event of need for medical attention. One officer from Bratislava was quoted as saying that “this is going to be a lot more difficult than it had been to protect Britain’s Elizabeth the Second and Prince Philip” during their recent visit to Slovakia.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[24]<!–[endif]–> The aforementioned Gábor Gőbl had reportedly advised the Hungarian Consulate in Bratislava the day before that at least 1000 fans from Hungary should be expected to come to Dunaszerdahely for the match.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[25]<!–[endif]–> Interestingly, while Gábor Gőbl expressed concerns that the Slovak police might mistreat the Hungarian expeditioners, Dusan Caplovic, the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister charged with Human Rights and Minority Affairs, worried on Slovak television about the potential for provocations by the Hungarian visitors.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[26]<!–[endif]–>

Based on the recounting of some of those who crossed the border from Hungary to see the game, it seems clear the Slovak authorities were most concerned about and interested in Ferencváros (Fradi) fans. According to the aforementioned Fradista, Zsolt Bede:

We arrived around 8 am, but at that time the police in the Komarom area were not really ready and only a couple of people were controlled at the border. The late-arriving fans had to deal with a much stricter inspection—the police checked the people crossing into Slovakia against a list which had the names of fans and their pictures. It thus became clear, that they were prepared for the arrival of the large group of supporters, in particular the FRADISTAK. The police would ask, which team we supported, and if FRADI wasn’t the answer then the policeman would react, good because ‘We are waiting for the Fradistak!”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[27]<!–[endif]–> [translated from the Hungarian]

The Hungarian correspondent Richard Sztanscik reported much the same thing. At the Komarom bridge border crossing and then in Dunaszerdahely, he heard guards state: “Budapest Honvéd? What’s with the big friendship among all of you, huh? Újpest, Ferencváros, Honvéd, what you all root together?” and “The Fradistak…always looking for a ‘party’.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[28]<!–[endif]–> Gábor Gőbl, Balázs Sziva, and other musicians from the far-right rock scene were apparently prevented entry at the border.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[29]<!–[endif]–> Furthermore, the aforementioned Hungarica and Romantikus Erőszak concert, scheduled to follow the game was cancelled.

As during the aforementioned July match, there were restrictions on alcohol sales, but not throughout the whole town or, of course, on the way….According to English-language Slovak media, confrontations began even before the match started, leading police to escort 1,000 Slovan fans to the stadium.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[30]<!–[endif]–> Authorities also confiscated dozens of banned items as fans entered, including signal rockets, wooden bats, brass knuckles and boot spikes.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[31]<!–[endif]–> According to the Fradi supporter, Zsolt Bede, under heavy police presence, his group paraded through the closed off streets of Dunaszerdahely. Approximately 500 Hungarian locals and Hungarians—as he listed their roll call, újpestiek, kispestiek, debreceniek, váciak, gyöngyösiek, körmendiek, fehérváriak, soproniak, szombathelyiek, békéscsabaiak, nyíregyháziak—were present as a “Trianon keepsake” from the Várpalotai Trianon múzeum was presented and sang the Hungarian national anthem (Himnusz, the Hymn) together.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[32]<!–[endif]–> Szombathelyi Haladás supporters claimed after the match that two hours before it even started there were problems when they attempted to unfurl their own banner and two Slovan supporters stormed their section of the stands lunging for the team scarves around their necks.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[33]<!–[endif]–>

The English language Budapest Times described the scene in the Hungarian section of the stands as follows:

Some 500 fans from Hungary were present at the Dunajská Streda Stadium, many of whom were wearing red white and green scarves with the word “Perseverance” printed on them, which was the motto of the Arrow Cross fascist movement during the final months of the Second World War. Árpád flags, which are favoured by the extreme right in Hungary, were also being waved and the home crowd sang the Hungarian national anthem before kickoff.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[34]<!–[endif]–>

By contrast, Zsolt Bede (who claims to have been there) estimates that out of a total of about 8000-9000 people in the overflowing stadium (capacity is listed at about 6,100), there were 1000-1500 Hungarians from Hungary and 800-1000 Slovan fans.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[35]<!–[endif]–> From Youtube videos, one of the most prominent banners is one in the colors of the Hungarian flag with the words “Voltunk, Vagyunk, Leszünk” written on it: “We Were [here], We Are [here], We Will Be [here].”

As is traditional/typical, the ethnic Hungarian fans sang the Hungarian national anthem, a song which is at one and the same time, a prayer imploring God, the national anthem of the state of Hungarian, and the anthem of ethnic Hungarians everywhere. As happens, and especially given the character of the music itself, Hungarian spectators recount some were crying in the Hungarian section. As the Slovak English-language press reported, “press reports from the scene said that the police failed to act against [Slovan] Bratislava supporter who were throwing smoke bomgs, noise grenades and other missiles on the pitch.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[36]<!–[endif]–> This was shortly after the game started. What happened next is a subject of contention. Police commander Stanislav Jankovic would tell the press, “Hungarian supporters threw stones at my men and made crude gestures at them.”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[37]<!–[endif]–> Bede and other Hungarians claim that this was impossible because before the match, as they waited to enter the stadium, they saw the police remove any stone or chair that could be used as a weapon from that section.

Hungarian fans claim they were upset both by the lack of intervention by the police against the Slovan supporters who were launching the rockets toward the Hungarian section and who were engaging in the typical anti-Hungarian chants (along the lines of “HÚNI DO PLYNU, MAĎARI DO DUNAJA” “Hungarians to the gas chambers, Magyars [in]to the Danube”). (In one of the Youtube videos, it sounds as if the Hungarian section is shouting “Itthon vagyunk, Itthon vagyunk”—“We are at home, We are at home!” as a response to the chants from the other side.) One of the apparently more balanced accounts by a poster to a web forum observed nonetheless:

A guy in grey sweatshirt attacked one member with his fist (btw it’s pretty clear in the DAC – slovan police brutality against hungarian fans video on youtube) of a little hopsital convoy that was moving under his row of seats. One policeman saw that and actually that’s pretty [expletive deleted] up if you attack anyone especialy escorting a guy on stretchers. But yeah the police attack was unnecessary in the scale they did it. But so does politics and nacionalism [sic.] nothing to do with any of this.

Based on what is available on the Internet, especially Youtube, however, it is next to impossible to see who or what, if anything specific, prompted the police intervention—most tapes began rolling only after the police intervened. The only thing that seems clear is that when the police intervened they did so forcefully and some of the Hungarian fans (skinheads among them) fought back. Fifty fans ended up seeking medical attention, with six being in serious enough condition to be taken to the hospital.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[38]<!–[endif]–>

Hungarian fans were livid, however. The Hungarian, Krisztian Lengyel, who was airlifted to a hospital in Bratislava, according to the Slovak authorities, suffered an epileptic seizure due to excessive alcohol consumption, not due to his beating. Moreover, to add insult to injury, it was rumored that because he did not have his proper EU medical insurance card, he was charged the rate of 90,000 Slovak Crowns (around $4000) for his hospital visit. The Hungarian far right became even more incensed when later that evening the Hungarian police released a statement admitting that five Hungarian police “spotters” had been present at the match:

On 22 October 2008, Slovak police informed their Hungarian colleagues that a large number of Hungarian fans were going to come to the scheduled 1 November Dunaszerdahely-Slovan Bratislava football match. To this end, the BRFK [Budapest Chief of Police] and the Győr-Moson-Sopron Chief of Police sent officers to observe the match. At the match a police investigation was undertaken. According to the information of the Slovak authorities 16 Hungarian citizens (1 for a major offense [apparently drug possession], 15 for disturbing the peace) were taken into custody but released later that day. The Slovak police at our request announced that there were injured Hungarian citizens among those interrogated, but none of them was in jeopardy of losing their life.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[39]<!–[endif]–> [translated from the Hungarian]

The next day—after far right demonstrations the night before, at the Slovak Embassy in Budapest and Consulate in Békéscsabá, at which the Slovak flags were set on fire—the Hungarian police sought to further clarify the situation of the five Hungarian “spotters” sent to the match, and to declare that those officials had not been apprised of the decision of the Slovak police to intervene as they did.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[40]<!–[endif]–> Rather than calm matters, Hungarian tempers seemed to be further inflamed when the Slovak authorities admitted that they had arrested 16 Slovak citizens in addition to the 16 Hungarians, 13 of the 16 Slovak fans being Slovan supporters, and that two of the 16 Slovak citizens had major charges filed against them: a 28 year old who had the flag in his possession of the Slovak fascist movement, the Hlinka Guard, and a 23 year old who apparently wore a “fascist” pin on his clothes.<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[41]<!–[endif]–> There were no reports of Polish or Czech citizens being arrested, and it is unclear how many, if any, actually travelled to and watched the match, despite the Internet coverage this issue had received earlier. Ironically then, one of the issues that may have contributed to the ratcheting up of tensions may never have actually materialized.

After the match, however, it was back to mutual insults and recriminations on Youtube sites, now all the more pointed in the wake of the events of the day in Dunaszerdahely…

After the Match…Back to Insults and Mutual Recriminations on the Web Forums [Youtube: “Are You Ready???”]

hmm, hmm hmmm, small hungarian turul [bird that is a Hungarian symbol, especially prized by nationalists] lost all plumage. So damage. Wrong way took up this bird. Hungary is in collapse and so had got only stupid flunkeyiana. Somebody has to be guilty. Clowns

Hungarian are the best of all the world. But nobody can see it.;-). Turuls know sc[r]eech only, no work, no normal ideas only [expletive deleted] dreams about mad primacy. Wake up stupid turuls

Slowakia: No History, no land, no roots, no flag, no past, no future!

Slovaks was our slaves they are our slaves and they will be our slaves

Hungary – Slovan 0:4 that is right! So you call “mongolska streda” as a part of Hungary. I agree! In your soul, Dunaszerdahely never been part of Slovakia, You hate it, but we love that city. Lets make a vote tomorrow, and we able to belong again to Hungary! After that we will organize a central-european soccer championship and maybe, we will friends again!!!!!!! I love you too!

Maďari za Dunaj !!! [I can understand this much Slovak, “Hungarians into the Danube!!!”]

You reap as you sow! Blow wind and you get storm!!!!!

Hungarians beyond the Borders’ Frustration with Hungarians from Hungary Proper

But the number of stupid Hungarian Hungarians is also pitiable. What can we do about it? The vast majority of Hungarians didn’t stand up with the patriots on 5 December 2004 [date of the so-called “status law” referendum in Hungary that would have extended citizenship benefits and rights to Hungarians outside of Hungary proper]. They practically turned their back on their own country. Thus what can we expect from the other nationalities???

Slovaks on the International Dimension of the Match

can some1 explain why did hungryan “fans” travel to a different country to attend a league match of 2 foreign(slovak) football clubs, with vulgar antislovak writings on their flags, throw rocks and chairs at police and then complain that they get their ass kicked??? new level of moronism if u ask me

they traveled to foreign country? they traveled to Felvidék:)
Dunaszerdahely 80% Hungarian!

95%

What the heck is the cross of Saint Stephen doing on the damn Slovak flag? They stole the Hungarian symbol! They have no mind of their own, no history of their own, no brain of their own! Come down here to Hungary Slovak children and you can make a big deal about being Slovak here, and then you will get the slaps you deserve. [translated from Hungarian]

What do you expect [a poster’s handle] from an uneducated primitive people such as the Slovaks who couldn’t come up with their own flag but had to copy the Slovenian flag’s layout…in truth you can’t expect anything from them so let them make fools of themselves until suddenly it dawns upon them that their houses are on fire…[translated from Hungarian]

An Outsider Inquires What’s the Problem…and Gets an Earful

what is the problem between the two countries? can anyone explain please? want to understand this.

main problem is that activities of hungarian government cross their borders and interfere with internal affa[i]rs of neighbouring counties.Contrastive and incompetent stance of hungarian government enables extremistic and military forces to gain support.even to undertake expeditions abroad in order to provoke conflict.when they’re rightfully punished they wonder what happened as they realize that in Slovakia an anarchy isn’t that kind of arrangement that prevails (like they are used from their own)

no the problem (SLota) can be found on youtube:
watch?v=eLP4mPiu0vs
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your comment: though sophisticated but still bullshit, and lying!!!!

And so it goes, in the Internet universe and on Youtube.

Conclusions

Would all of this have happened without the Internet, and specifically Youtube and football fan sites? Perhaps not, or certainly not in the way it unfolded. One can imagine, for example, the climate of September 1992 when Ferencváros fans were beaten in the stands in Bratislava by Slovak police. To be sure, the pictures and story were covered by the handful of television stations in Hungarian and then still Czechoslovakia, and by newspapers and weeklies. But in the case of the weeks leading up to the 1 November 2008 DAC Dunaszerdahely – Slovan Bratislava match and its aftermath, content and viewing on demand and subject to repeated playing and extensive second and third hand dissemination has created a much different world. Both in 1992 and in 2008, word of mouth undoubtedly played an important role in spreading news and interpretations of events, but the intensity of the events in question is likely much greater when it can be linked to and reinforced by downloaded images and the opportunity to contribute personal experience and thoughts to web forums. This is particularly the case when we are talking about individuals who are passionate on a given topic, for example football fan(atic)s.