Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez has publicly apologized for participating in a racist chant targeting France players during Argentina’s Copa America victory celebration.
The incident occurred after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the final on July 14 in Miami. A video from Enzo’s Instagram Live which showed the Argentina team singing a derogatory song about France’s players quickly went viral on social media.
Fernandez did not offer any excuses for the offensive language in his apology.
“I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. The song included highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words,” he wrote in an Instagram story.
He expressed regret for his actions explaining that he got caught up in the excitement of the moment.
“I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry,” Fernandez added.
French Football Federation’s Response
The French Football Federation (FFF) has taken a strong stance against the incident deciding to file a complaint with FIFA who are the global governing body of football.
The FFF’s complaint states that the viral video included an alleged “racist and discriminatory” chant.
“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 appeal to his Argentinian counterpart and FIFA and to file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory remarks,” the FFF announced.
the president of the FFF Philippe Diallo condemned the chants highlighting that they singled out French players of African heritage.
“The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team,” he said.
The fallout from the incident has also affected Fernandez’s standing with his Chelsea teammates. French international and Chelsea star Wesley Fofana commented on the video on the social media platform “X” writing:
“Football in 2024: uninhibited racism,” accompanied by a clip from the controversial video.
As the situation develops Fernandez and his teammates are facing increasing scrutiny and calls for accountability from both the football community and the public.
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