An Argentina star has officially broken his silence following an outbreak of public anger to his racist chanting following their 2024 Copa America triumph, with a club teammate among the most upset.
On a video that has gone viral, Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez, along with some of his Albiceleste teammates, can be heard chanting a derogatory song, believed to be aimed at the France national team, after their Copa victory on Monday morning.
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The midfielder seemingly recorded himself as he and his compatriots sang a song that he has since admitted contained "highly offensive language".
The lyrics of the song are reported to be: "They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French."
Later, his Blues teammate Wesley Fofana took to X to upload a video of the incident, captioning it (translated from French): "Football in 2024: uninhibited racism."
Le football en 2024 : racisme décomplexé ?????????????????? pic.twitter.com/MGkH5wPmNU
— Wesley Fofana (@Wesley_Fofana3) July 16, 2024
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The former SL Benfica star has since taken to Instagram to apologise for his actions.
"The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words," he wrote.
"I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.
"That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.
"I am truly sorry."
?? Enzo Fernández statement to apologize after racist chants. pic.twitter.com/IW1uDPoPne
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2024
The French Football Federation has since condemned the actions of the Argentine midfielder, and promised that its president Philippe Diallo will challenge FIFA and file a legal complaint.
"The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks which were made against the players of the French team in the context of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team after its victory in the Copa America and broadcast in a video on social media," it said in a statement, per Sky Sports.
"Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly challenge his Argentinian counterpart and FIFA, and to file a legal complaint for insulting remarks of a racist and discriminatory nature."
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