The International Football Federation (FIFA) on Wednesday launched an investigation into racist chants by Argentine players against the French national team during the celebrations following the victory in the Copa America final played in the United States on Sunday. A video broadcast live by Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who plays for Chelsea, showed Argentines during the celebrations chanting racist chants such as “Run the ball… They play in France, but they are all from Angola.”
The case also had repercussions at Chelsea in the English Premier League, the club where Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez plays, who was subject to disciplinary proceedings after having recorded and broadcast live on his official Instagram account the moment that caused so much commotion and indignation on social media.
FIFA has expressed its opinion on the matter
“FIFA has been made aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being investigated,” the governing body said in a statement. “FIFA firmly condemns all forms of discrimination, regardless of where it comes from, including against players, fans, and those responsible,” the body said, which was appealed to by the French Football Federation (FFF) on Tuesday.
Since last Monday night, an audiovisual material has gone completely viral on social networks and the media, in which several players from the Argentine national team appear, on the bus that was transporting them after having been crowned champions of America against Colombia, where they began a racist and homophobic chant against the players of the French national team and specifically against Kylian Mbappe, before cutting off the transmission.
The full version of the song was sung by Argentine fans in a live broadcast on television during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in which La Argentina beat France on penalties.
The song contains phrases such as “they play in France, but they are all from Angola”, and Kylian Mbappe is told that “his old lady is Nigerian” (although in reality, she is French-Algerian), “his old man is Cameroonian, but his nationality is French”. When it was broadcast live on Argentine television, the reporter decided to cut it off when he realized the content of the song: “No, no. Censored”, said the journalist, annoyed, walking away from the group of fans.
At the time, the French Football Federation had filed a complaint for racist remarks on social media, as had SOS Racism. On Tuesday, the FFF revealed that it was taking the new case of racism to FIFA and that it was filing a complaint with the courts “for offensive words of a racial and discriminatory nature.”
French players and teammates of Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea have spoken out on the matter: Fernandez’s teammate at Chelsea, French defender Wesley Fofana, reposted the video on his official X account (formerly Twitter) with the following comment: “Football in 2024: unabashed racism”.
“It’s regrettable,” added French defender for FC Barcelona Jules Kounde on social media.
Enzo Fernandez’s apology on his social networks
“The song includes very offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words,” he admitted. “I am against discrimination in all its forms and I do apologize for having been carried away by the euphoria of the Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words do not reflect my convictions or my character,” the Argentine midfielder posted.
His club, Chelsea, issued a statement saying it “recognizes and appreciates the player’s public apologies” but also announced that it has launched an internal disciplinary procedure.
