Enzo Fernandez has issued an official apology for the recent video that was streamed on his Instagram account depicting him singing a racist football chant. The midfielder, who had just won Copa America 2024, was celebrating the triumph alongside his Argentine teammates when he decided to livestream on social media.
Alongside several other players, he then proceeded to sing the chant which is aimed at black French footballers. The stream ended pretty quickly, but not before the damage was done and fans and players alike are outraged at what they’ve seen. The decision to sing the song was shocking enough, but considering Fernandez plays with several black French players at Chelsea, supporters are even more surprised at his actions.
One of his Blues teammates, Wesley Fofana, is one of those players and he has lashed out at Fernandez on social media for the video. On both his Instagram story and his X profile, the defender shared the footage himself, captioning it ‘Football in 2024: uninhibited racism’ to make it clear how he feels about the situation. Things have escalated, and now, Fernandez has spoken out about the video for the first time.
Fernandez Said the Chant Doesn’t Reflect His Beliefs
He also claimed he was just caught up in ‘euphoria’
With how many people were discussing the footage online, it was impossible for Fernandez to ignore it, and now he has issued a public apology for his actions. In a statement that he posted online, he revealed how sorry he was for what was seen in the video. He claimed he was caught up in the euphoria of Argentina’s Copa America win, but stressed that the chant and his actions weren’t a reflection of his character or his 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.”
The apology will be a welcome one for some, but there will likely still be some repercussions for the midfielder. The French FA have launched an official complaint to Argentina about the video, and Chelsea themselves may do something about the situation just yet.
They may punish Fernandez themselves
Considering the gravity of the situation, it wasn’t long before Chelsea spoke out about what had happened. The club revealed they were conducting an investigation into the footage and, as a result, will likely determine what’s the best possible move going forwards. It’s a situation that can’t be ignored at the club, especially with Fernandez’s actions having already upset Fofana and likely several other players in the team.
Alongside the defender, there are a number of black French footballers at Stamford Bridge, including Christopher Nkunku, Malo Gusto and Axel Disasi. Whether Fernandez’s apology will be enough to appease them remains to be seen, but it’s pretty clear that something’s got to give.