Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea start internal disciplinary procedure after midfielder's 'racist video'
Enzo Fernandez's teammate at Chelsea, Wesley Fofana, has spoken out against the disrespectful chanting by the Argentina squad towards the France team. He shared a video of the incident with the caption: "Football in 2024: blatant racism." The French Football Federation has announced they will take legal action. Fernandez has also issued an apology for the incident.
Today is Wednesday, July 17th, 2024 and it is currently 08:37 in the morning in the United Kingdom.
Chelsea have started an internal process to address the situation after Enzo Fernandez's video on social media, which the French Football Federation claims is racist.
Fernandez and a few of his fellow Argentina players were singing a disrespectful song about the France team in a live video on Instagram that was posted on his profile after they defeated Colombia in the Copa America final on Sunday.
Wesley Fofana, who plays on the same team as Fernandez for Chelsea, shared the video again on social media with the caption: "The state of racism in football in 2024 is shameful."
Fernandez issued a public apology on Instagram for sharing the video and acknowledged that it may have offended some viewers.
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This Wednesday, Chelsea made an official announcement stating that they do not tolerate any kind of discrimination. The club is pleased to be a welcoming and inclusive place for individuals from all backgrounds to come together.
We recognize and value our player's public apology and will take this chance to educate.
"The club has started an internal process for dealing with disciplinary issues."
The statement from The Blues came after Fernandez expressed sincere apologies for the video.
"The lyrics contain very disrespectful language and there is no justification for using such words," stated the 23-year-old.
I do not support any kind of discrimination and I am sorry for getting carried away with excitement during our Copa America festivities.
The video, the moment, the words all do not show what I truly believe in or who I am as a person.
FFA To Take Legal Action Against French Football Federation
The French Football Federation plans to take legal action over what they claim were racist and discriminatory comments made by players from Argentina.
The FFF, which oversees French soccer, announced that its president Philippe Diallo plans to confront FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Argentina Football Association leader Claudio Fabian Tapia about the comments that were made.
The French Football Federation president, Philippe Diallo, strongly condemns the racist and discriminatory comments made against French team players in a song sung by Argentina team players and fans after winning the Copa America. The video was shared on social media.
Confronted with the gravity of these offensive comments, which go against the principles of sportsmanship and human rights, the leader of the French Football Federation chose to openly confront the president of Argentina and FIFA. He also decided to take legal action against the offensive remarks, which were racist and discriminatory in nature.
Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout during the 2022 World Cup final. Some supporters of the Argentina team were reportedly heard singing offensive songs during the match.
Sky Sports News has reached out to FIFA for a statement.
Fernandez Condemned For Sharing Video, Says Sporting Equals
Sports race equality charity, Sporting Equals, is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within the world of sports.
Sporting Equals strongly denounces the recently surfaced video on social media showing Chelsea and Argentinian footballer Enzo Fernandez and some of his teammates singing a racist song. The lyrics degrade the life experiences of the French footballers and their predecessors. The words doubt the genuineness of those players' eligibility to play for France.
We want to give a shoutout to Wesley Fofana, who plays for the same team as Fernandez at Chelsea, for standing up against this behavior. It would have been easier for him to say nothing, but by speaking out publicly, he is sending a strong message that this kind of behavior will not be accepted. We are hopeful that his team will stand by him and others during this challenging period.
"After the Copa America final incident, it's important to shift our focus to the recent positive events happening closer to home. The UEFA Men's European Football Championships allowed us to celebrate the variety of countries participating in the tournament."
After England's triumph, there were many examples on social media showing how immigration has benefited the national team. The French team, for instance, took a stand against the far right during press conferences, showing that football is unified against racism. The diverse backgrounds of the finalists, England and Spain, demonstrate that equality and fairness regardless of race is a strong asset.
With that being said, we should not hesitate to speak out against racism when we see it. Sporting Equals anticipates that Chelsea, The Premier League, The FA, and FIFA will take quick and firm action against these appalling chants.
