Football: Chelsea takes disciplinary action against Enzo Fernández for racist chant
Chelsea announced on Wednesday the opening of disciplinary proceedings against their Argentine midfielder, Enzo Fernández, following the release of a video in which racist chants are heard after Argentina’s victory in the Copa America.
In a statement, the London club specified: “We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this opportunity for awareness-raising. The club has implemented an internal disciplinary procedure”. The video, circulating on social media since Monday evening, shows some Argentine players, including Enzo Fernández, singing lyrics that the French Football Federation has described as “racist and discriminatory” towards French players.
Reactions were swift. French defender and Fernández’s Chelsea teammate, Wesley Fofana, expressed his outrage on X (formerly Twitter): “Football in 2024: unabashed racism”. French defender Jules Kounde of FC Barcelona also reacted, calling the video “Lamentable…” on the same platform.
Amid the growing controversy, Enzo Fernández issued a public apology on Instagram on Tuesday, writing: “I want to sincerely apologize for the video posted during the Argentine team’s celebrations. The song contains very offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for those words”.
The French Football Federation responded by announcing they would refer the matter to FIFA and file a formal complaint. Chelsea affirmed their commitment to using this incident to raise awareness among their players and supporters.
