The French Football Federation (FFF) has taken a strong stance against what it deems as “racist and discriminatory remarks” by players from Argentina directed at the French team following the recent Copa America final. According to reports, Enzo Fernandez, a midfielder for Argentina who also plays for Chelsea, shared a video on social media showing Argentina players allegedly singing a song containing offensive language targeted at French players of African heritage. This incident occurred after Argentina’s victory over Colombia in the final match of the Copa America.
In response to this controversy, France defender Wesley Fofana, who is also Fernandez’s teammate at Chelsea, publicly condemned the incident, labeling it as an act of “uninhibited racism”. The derogatory chants in question apparently target French players with family ties to various African nations, as well as those holding French passports.
The FFF has since announced its decision to file a legal complaint with Fifa, citing the significance of the discriminatory remarks and their violation of the fundamental principles of sports and human rights. FFF President, Philippe Diallo, has expressed unequivocal condemnation of the offensive remarks and has initiated direct contact with the Argentinian football association as well as Fifa to address this matter.
Furthermore, reports indicate that Chelsea has launched its own investigation into the incident, underscoring the severity of the situation.
In response to the growing backlash, Enzo Fernandez issued an apology on his Instagram account, acknowledging the inexcusable nature of the offensive language used in the song. He expressed his stance against all forms of discrimination and conveyed remorse for his participation in the celebratory moment that led to the dissemination of the offensive video. He emphasized that the words and actions captured in the video do not align with his personal beliefs or character, and expressed genuine regret for his involvement in the incident.
It has been revealed that the derogatory chant in question originated during the 2022 World Cup, when Argentina emerged victorious over France in the final match. It was allegedly sung by French fans at the time.
The president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, has reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards racism, and has previously pledged to relaunch a task force aimed at monitoring and addressing incidents of discrimination and racism within football.
The FFF’s decision to pursue legal action against the Argentine players has sparked widespread discussions and debates, prompting active participation from readers and prompting them to subscribe to Independent Premium to contribute and bookmark their favorite stories for future reference.