Milos Kerkez speaks out after Liverpool player is named in the controversial ‘enemies of Ukraine’ list
Milos Kerkez has spoken out after he and his dad were listed as ‘enemies of Ukraine’ on a public database.
The Hungary defender got into some trouble after an incident with Ukraine’s Victor Tsygankov during a Nations League game. Tsygankov plays for Liverpool, just like Kerkez’s teammate Dominik Szoboszlai. During the match, Kerkez grabbed Tsygankov by the collar, which caused a lot of buzz online.
Things got even more heated when Kerkez’s father, Sebastijan, shared a photo of the moment on Instagram with a controversial song linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Because of this, both Milos and his dad were added to Myrotvorets, a site that lists so-called ‘enemies of Ukraine’ with their photos and personal info.
This database isn’t officially connected to the Ukrainian government. It also includes Hungarian MP Balazs Hidveghi, who called it shameful that Hungary’s Foreign Ministry hasn’t defended Kerkez and his father.
Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orban commented on the situation on social media. She strongly criticized the targeting and blacklistings against Kerkez and Hidveghi, saying she worked closely with Ukrainian officials, Hungary’s football federation, and others to help ease the situation. She added, “Sport should be about performance, community, and respect,” and thanked everyone involved for their cooperation.
Kerkez missed the second game against Ukraine, played in Slovakia because of the war, due to suspension. But he shared his thoughts on the backlash from the first match, telling Hungarian media outlet Telex that he’s never supported aggression and doesn’t find hurting others acceptable. He said tensions are normal in football and that he just stood up for his teammate and captain during the match — something he would do no matter who the opponent was.
Right now, Hungary is second in Group F with seven points, just behind Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland leads the group without having conceded a goal yet. Hungary will play Northern Ireland at home on November 17, after an away game in Georgia.
Ukraine is third with four points. They’ll face Northern Ireland in Belfast on November 14 and play Georgia in Slovakia on November 17.
All teams are gearing up for these important final matches in the Nations League!