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Liverpool left-back Milos Kerkez finds himself in hot water after a seemingly innocuous incident snowballed into a full-scale diplomatic incident.
The Reds star has been away on international duty with Hungary for the past couple of weeks, adding caps 33, 34 and 35 to his CV, which is an impressive feat for a 22-year-old.
However, Kerkez did not feature in Hungary’s final game of the break on Monday due to yellow card accumulation. The Magyars got revenge on Ukraine for a 1-0 loss at the start of the national team camp by running out 2-1 victors at the City Arena in Trnava (Slovakia).
Ukraine, of course, still have to play their games outside of their war-torn home country, and the conflict with Russia is why Kerkez is now in the news. In the first game between Hungary and their neighbours, the Liverpool star got into an early scuffle with the opposition.
It was a benign incident, but it became a major story after the match when Kerkez was added to a list of “Enemies of Ukraine” alongside his father on the website Mirotvorec. This has now prompted Hungary’s foreign minister to intervene.
Kerkez sparks a diplomatic incident
This drama didn’t really start with Kerkez’s scuffle during the match, but rather when his father, Sebastijan, posted a screenshot of the incident on Instagram with a deliberate choice of music: a song called “Russian Paradise” by the Russian rap group AK-47.
Kerkez’s father is Serbian, and the player himself was born in Vrbas in what was, at the time, Serbia and Montenegro. Russia enjoys widespread support among the Serbian populace despite the government’s attempt at non-alignment and condemnation of the 2022 invasion.
Kerkez’s mother, meanwhile, hails from Hungary, a country whose government has also had differing and, at times, contradictory stances on the Russo-Ukrainian war in recent years.
Speaking to local media last Friday, the Liverpool star distanced himself from his father’s actions and insisted that the issue is simply a misunderstanding that has been blown out of proportion.
“I have never supported – and do not support -any form of aggression in my life! I am not the kind of person who finds anything that harms others acceptable,” Kerkez stated.
“There is always tension at a football match, and during the game against Ukraine, I simply defended our captain, my friend, and I would have done the same regardless of which country we were playing against.
“It is important to note that my father is not me! I cannot be held responsible for his actions, whatever they may be!”
Hungarian foreign minister Anita Orban, who is not related to former prime minister Viktor Orban, published a statement on Monday in which she condemned the “stigmatisation” of Kerkez but also emphasised that the “Enemies of Ukraine” list is not an official state channel.
“I strongly condemn the stigmatisation, any form of blacklisting and any potential threats directed at Hungarian citizens Milos Kerkez and [Fidesz politician] Balazs Hidveghi,” Orban wrote
“Throughout the weekend, alongside the government meeting, I was in constant consultation with Ukrainian government representatives, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), the embassy and my colleagues to ensure that all parties involved took action within their respective spheres to resolve the situation.
“At the same time, I would point out that the website in question is not an official Ukrainian state channel, and it remains unclear exactly who operates it. Sport should be about performance, community and respect.
“I thank the two national associations for their cooperation! Go Hungarians! Go national team!”
This statement from Orban should put the matter to bed. Because Mirotvorec is not linked to the Ukrainian government – and is even seen as problematic in diplomatic circles – Kerkez’s inclusion should have no meaningful consequences.
It is an inconvenience and damaging to his reputation if he remains on the list, but he won’t face sanctions.
