Chelsea release statement on Enzo Fernandez chant; begin disciplinary inquiry
Chelsea to move with disciplinary action against Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez after his involvement in chants that included racist and homophobic slurs about members of the France team. The player has broken his silence with an apology message on social media.
Argentina won the Copa America title on Sunday by beating Colombia in extra time, Chelsea’s young midfielder was also included in the team and he had contributed an assist in the campaign and also featured for 97 minutes in the final. The Argentine team has thrived under manager Lionel Scaloni and have won 4 major titles, including the World Cup in the last 4 years.
Fernández posted a video on Instagram that showed him and Argentina teammates involved in the chants as they celebrated their victory over Colombia in the final of the Copa America. Fernandez and his teammates were caught singing a derogatory chant targeting French players of African descent. The lyrics of the song, which date back to Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory, are deeply offensive and discriminatory. They mock French players whose parents hail from countries like Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, and other African countries, suggesting that despite holding French passports, they are not truly French.
France beat Argentina in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup, and Argentina beat France in the final of the 2022 World Cup. The French Football Association has already confirmed that they are moving legally against the issue. The Argentine players have been criticised from all over the world and FIFA would be taking strict action against the behaviour.
Chelsea has also confirmed with the statement that they have ‘instigated an internal disciplinary procedure’ against Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Chelsea said in a statement “Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome. We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure.”
The 23-year-old Chelsea ace has apologized for his action through a social media post He acknowledged the “highly offensive language” used in the chant and admitted to getting caught up in the euphoria of the celebrations.
Enzo Fernandez’s involvement in a racist chant following Argentina’s Copa America triumph is a disappointing and unacceptable incident. The incident still highlights the discrimination in the game, despite taking proper actions against racism in the game, the incident is a reminder that there is still much work to be done. Racism has no place in the beautiful game, and players, clubs, and governing bodies must take a firm stand against such behaviour.
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