Hungarian side Ferencvaros has a long tradition of problematic fans.
They are considered the most violent supporters in Hungary, and UEFA has sanctioned and fined the club more than once in the past. In one of the infamous incidents, Ferencvaros fans stabbed four Millwall fans when the clubs played against each other in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup. We all know how Milwall fans are perceived themselves, so this incident might prove a point about the darker side of the Ferencvaros support.
That makes a visit to Groupama Arena a bit harder. In Hungary, matches are usually not sold out, so you can buy yourself a ticket easily on match day. For Ferencvaros matches, the situation is a bit different. You need to register at the club office, which includes filling a form, taking a photo, a handprint of both palms and finally to pay for a member card. It costs approximately 3 Euros on a typical day, while on match days it costs 4.5 Euros. Later you will also need to buy a ticket for the match.
All that procedure was worth it, just in order to watch their first-ever Europa League group stage home match. After completing the registration stage, you can buy a ticket, which for the Europa League matches, the maximum price is 40 Euros. In their debut two weeks ago, Ferencvaros made a surprising 1-1 draw against Espanyol, so everyone could feel that defeating Ludogorets tonight is a possible mission. Moreover, both teams have met in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, and the Hungarians won twice.
The stadium is getting ready to the first Europa League group stage home match of Ferencvaros (Yossi Medina)
Although the club is using different secutiry measures, the level of violence has decreased since 2016. Three years ago, B-közép, the main supporter groups, negotiated with the club's president, Gábor Kubatov. Now you can see them collecting money for their group outside of the stadium. Others preferred to drink beers before they have a chance to drink some more beers in the stadium. They could also get there a reusable plastic cup, branded especially for the Europa League.
Ferencvaros fans are not only considered violent, but also known for their nationalist view. They had two moments during the game to express that. The first was when the Ludogorets lineup was announced. Unlike other passionate fans, Ferencvaros fans were silent, but when the name of Claudiu Keșerü was announced, they booed as hard as they can. Keșerü is a Romanian of Hungarian descent, but he mentioned more than once that he doesn't feel connected to his roots.
The second moment was before the kickoff coin toss. While Ludogorets already made their team photo and their captain, Svetoslav Dyakov, was standing next to the referee, the fans began to sing the Hungarian national anthem. The players decided to stand as a group until the fans finished, and only then the coin toss was made.
The game itself was completely different than expected. Jodi Lukoki scored the first goal for the away team after just 39 seconds, and the whole game changed immediately. At the 40th minute, Ludogorets doubled their advantage with a perfect free kick by Rafael Forster, who scored his last official goal in May 2017. That was his first one for the Bulgarian side, and it was a cracker.
In the final minutes of the first half, there was an opportunity for Ferencvaros to change the momentum. On the 43rd minute, Dragoș Grigore got his second yellow card and was sent off. A minute later, it was Lukoki who got a yellow card. It looked like although Ludogorets are leading, their players are nervous.
While the fans kept singing in the second half, Rafael Forster scored his second on the 64th minute and put an end to Ferencvaros’ dreams. For the local fans, it wasn't the final whistle. Even though their team didn't play well, they continued supporting and singing for their players.
The atmosphere among Ferencvaros has changed. Just like when defeating Ludogorets twice in the Champions League qualifiers and then losing 3-0 at home in the Europa League group stage. That could be tricky, but who knows whether they will keep playing in a European group stage in the upcoming years.
Ferencvaros fans during the second half, haven’t stop singing (Yossi Medina)