In the latest news, Enzo Fernández along with his Argentine teammates snatched the Copa America title.
The news would have been as simple as that, but some twists were waiting. On Sunday, Argentina defeated Colombia to secure their second Copa America title in a row. Every trophy is hard fought and earned after a tiring competition and this one is no different.
And after every such victory, there are celebrations. However, the news for Enzo Fernández and some of his Argentine teammates is not good. Recently, the midfielder was criticized following a stream on his Instagram account.
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Fernández along with a few other teammates was caught singing an offensive song in the video. The song targets the French National team and their heritage. The video was deemed racist and offensive by others.
Many players also including non-French players have shown their disregard for the act.
Chelsea dressing room offended
According to reports, the pre-season plans for Chelsea are in a ‘total meltdown’. Reportedly, a part of the dressing room has turned against Enzo Fernández. That’s something expected given the number of French players with the Blues.
Unsurprisingly, The video was shocking for the Stamford Bridge and the result was few players getting offended. French footballer Wesley Fofana called the video ‘uninhibited racism’. Further, other players have unfollowed the Argentine on social media.
Nevertheless, Enzo Fernández has apologized for the incident. However, the Sun reports that the event has ‘rocked harmony within the camp’. Further, reportedly 10 players within the side are angry with the No.8. Although Nikolas Jackson supported the Argentine publicly, it hasn’t helped that much.
Chelsea has a considerable number of French players on the side. Players like Malo Gusto, Christopher Nkunku, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Malang Sarr, Lesley Ugochunkwu, and Fofana are all offended for sure. Further, three more players are ‘equally upset’ with Fernández.
The anger is understandable given the current movements against racism. The drama can’t seem to end anytime soon even though Fernández apologised.
Fernández apologises publicly
The former Benfica player recorded himself and other Argentina players belting out songs about Les Bleus on their way back to their hotel on Monday following their 1-0 victory against Colombia in the Copa America final.
The song had offensive lyrics for the French players. The lyrics meant the French players who play have French passports but are born in Africa. It was a kind of racist attack on the black players in the team. Further, the song made transphobic references to players like Kylian Mbappe – the captain of the French team.
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Now, FIFA and Chelsea both are investigating the incident. They can reportedly take action against Enzo Fernández and other Argentine players in the video. It will be intriguing to see if any action is indeed taken or not though.
Regardless, Fernández has apologized publicly by releasing a statement on his Instagram account. On Tuesday, the midfielder clarified that the song ‘did not reflect’ his true beliefs:
“I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel 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 apologise 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.”
Future news for Enzo Fernández
The incident is surely going to leave a mark on the squad of Chelsea. Regardless of that, more importantly, it can be really bad for Fernández. The Argentine is already facing scrutiny from everywhere being called ‘racist’.
We will see if the investigation results affect the Argentine in any manner or not.
As of now, his fellow teammate Rodrigo De Paul has come out to support him. De Paul slammed Wesley Fofana in a recent interview speaking on Olga en Vivo, via Diario AS. Other than De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister also defended Fernández.
Read more: Express.co.uk
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