Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez has been removed from a controversial Ukrainian blacklist, weeks after an incident involving the Hungarian international sparked outrage.
Milos Kerkez, the Hungarian international footballer currently playing for Liverpool, has been removed from the Ukrainian Myrotvorets database, which publishes information about individuals it considers hostile to Ukraine. According to HVG, the player’s removal may have been secured through the intervention of the Hungarian Football Federation and the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
However, while Kerkez’s name has disappeared from the controversial website, his father remains listed.
How did the Liverpool defender end up on the list?
The controversy began following a Nations League match between Hungary and Ukraine in Budapest, when Kerkez became involved in an altercation with several Ukrainian players during the closing stages of the game.
His father subsequently shared footage of the incident on Instagram, accompanied by Russian Paradise, a song by Russian rap group AK-47. The choice of music sparked outrage in Ukraine, particularly given the ongoing war with Russia.
Shortly afterwards, both Kerkez and his father appeared on the Myrotvorets website, accused of supporting Russian aggression. His father was also described as a pro-Russian provocateur. The footballer strongly rejected the allegations, insisting that he had never supported aggression of any kind.
“I have never supported any form of aggression in my life, and I do not support it now,” Kerkez told Hungarian news outlet Telex earlier this month.
He also distanced himself from his father’s social media activity, stressing that he could not be held responsible for another person’s actions.
Kerkez explained that the confrontation on the pitch had been about defending a teammate and that he would have acted the same way regardless of the opposing team.
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Hungarian foreign ministry may have helped secure removal
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán had previously condemned the inclusion of Kerkez and Fidesz politician Balázs Hidvéghi in the database, criticising what she described as the stigmatisation and intimidation of Hungarian citizens.
The incident also attracted attention because several Hungarian political figures, including former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, have appeared on the website.
Established in 2014, Myrotvorets, meaning Peacemaker, publishes personal information about people its operators consider pro-Russian or hostile to Ukraine.
Despite its name and activities, the website is not an official Ukrainian government database. Its operations have long attracted controversy, particularly over the publication of personal information and the criteria used to identify alleged enemies of Ukraine. Although Kerkez has now been removed, his father, Hidvéghi and Viktor Orbán remain listed.
The exact circumstances surrounding the Liverpool defender’s removal have not been disclosed, and it remains unclear what discussions, if any, took place between Hungarian officials and those operating the website.
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