Chelsea Condemns Discriminatory Chant by Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea Football Club has firmly condemned all forms of discriminatory behavior and initiated an internal disciplinary procedure following Argentina's derogatory song targeting French players. The French Football Federation (FFF) announced plans to file a legal complaint over "racist and discriminatory remarks" made by Chelsea's Enzo Fernández and his Argentina teammates after their Copa América victory over Colombia.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Chelsea stated, "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."

Following Argentina's 1-0 win over Colombia, Fernandez posted a video on Instagram showing Argentina players singing offensive chants aimed at French players of African heritage. This video quickly gained attention on social media platform X. The same derogatory chants had previously surfaced before the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina, which Argentina won.

France defender Wesley Fofana expressed his disapproval of his Chelsea teammate by reposting the video, calling the chant "uninhibited racism." Fellow Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku also criticized the chant, stating on X: "God bless them," referring to the Argentinean team's derogatory words.

Fernandez issued an apology on Instagram, acknowledging that the song "includes highly offensive language" and stating that "those words do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations."

French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra urged FIFA to take action, responding to a L'Equipe story about the derogatory chants with the comment: "Pathetic. Behaviour that is all the more unacceptable if it is repeated. @FIFAcom: a reaction?"

FIFA has not confirmed whether the French complaint has been filed. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has emphasized a zero-tolerance approach to racism, committing in May to relaunch a task force to monitor such incidents.