Chelsea have condemned all discriminatory behavior and initiated an internal disciplinary process following a derogatory song about French players by Argentina’s team, which included Chelsea player Enzo Fernández, the club said in a statement.
The French Football Federation (FFF) announced they would file a legal complaint regarding “racist and discriminatory remarks” made by Fernández and his Argentina teammates about the French team following Argentina’s Copa América victory over Colombia.
“Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable,” the club said on Wednesday. “We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.”
After Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the final, Fernández posted a video on Instagram that showed the Argentina players singing offensive chants targeting French players of African heritage. This video was widely viewed on social media.
Similar chants by some Argentina fans had surfaced before the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina, which Argentina won.
French defender Wesley Fofana expressed his discontent with his Chelsea teammate and reposted the video, labeling the chant as “uninhibited racism.” Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku also commented on the matter on social media, saying: “God bless them,” referring to the derogatory words of the Argentine team.
Fernández issued an apology on Instagram, acknowledging that the song “includes highly offensive language” but stated, “those words do not reflect my beliefs or my character. … I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.”
Since joining Chelsea in 2023, Fernández has made 46 appearances.
French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has called for FIFA to take action. She reacted to a news story about the chants, writing on social media: “Pathetic. Behaviour that is all the more unacceptable if it is repeated. @FIFAcom: a reaction?”
FIFA announced it was examining the incident after the French federation pledged to file a complaint with the sport’s governing body over the “racist and discriminatory remarks.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has emphasized that football and its 211 national federations must have a zero-tolerance approach to racism. In May, he committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents of discrimination.
“FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into,” the governing body said Wednesday. “FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone, including players, fans, and officials.”
It remains uncertain what jurisdiction FIFA has over an incident that took place on a team bus after a tournament, but the governing body might intervene if Argentina’s federation’s response is deemed unsatisfactory.
Argentina’s undersecretary for sports, Julio Garro, stated that Argentina football federation president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and team captain Lionel Messi should issue apologies for the chanting.
“This leaves us, as a country, in bad standing after so much glory,” Garro said in a radio interview.