Chelsea and FIFA have both initiated investigations after midfielder Enzo Fernandez apologized for sharing a video in which his teammate Wesley Fofana labeled as “uninhibited racism.”
The French Football Federation announced on Tuesday its intention to pursue a legal complaint regarding “racially offensive and discriminatory remarks” made by Argentine players during Fernandez’s Instagram livestream after their Copa America victory against Colombia.
The video displayed players singing a chant targeting the French national team, originating from the 2022 World Cup final where Argentina defeated France in penalties.
Fernandez terminated the livestream before the chant concluded. On Tuesday evening, Fernandez posted an apology on his social media platforms, stating: “I want to sincerely apologize for a video shared on my Instagram during the national team celebrations.”
“The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize 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.”
Wesley Fofana, a French player for Chelsea, shared the video on his social media with the caption, “Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.”
Chelsea issued a statement on Wednesday morning, acknowledging Fernandez’s apology and announcing the start of disciplinary actions.
“Chelsea Football Club does not tolerate any form of discriminatory behavior,” the statement declared. “We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive organization where individuals from all backgrounds, communities, and identities are embraced.”
“We recognize and value our player’s public apology and view this as a moment for education. The club has begun an internal disciplinary process.”
FIFA is also investigating the video, a spokesperson said: “FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into. FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone, including players, fans, and officials.”
On Tuesday, the French Football Federation (FFF) released a statement announcing that its president, Philippe Diallo, would confront FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the head of the Argentina Football Association, Claudio Fabian Tapia, regarding certain remarks.
The statement detailed: “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.
“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 Argentine counterpart and FIFA, and to file a legal complaint for insulting remarks of a racist and discriminatory nature.”
The anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out remarked: “The video of the Argentina team singing a discriminatory chant is unacceptable and clearly needs to stop. We stand with and show our full support to Wesley Fofana after he responded publicly and brought it to wider attention.”
“Although there has been an apology from Enzo Fernandez, and Chelsea says they will investigate the incident, several players are seen singing the song, which means there will be a wider impact on teammates and fans at other clubs.”
“We call upon all relevant clubs, the Argentina federation, and FIFA to address this concerning issue with empathy, sensitivity, and understanding.”
“Responses to these incidents cannot start and end with an apology. More important is the action taken afterward to ensure players are educated and held accountable, both in England and on a global scale.”
