Chelsea condemned any discriminatory behaviour and initiated internal disciplinary proceedings following Argentina's derogatory song about French players, the club said in a statement.
The French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Tuesday that it would file a complaint over “racist and discriminatory remarks” made by Chelsea player Enzo Fernández and his Argentine teammates about the French team following their victory over Colombia in the Copa América on Sunday.
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“Chelsea Football Club considers any form of discriminatory behaviour to be completely unacceptable,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive club where people of all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.”
After Argentina's 1-0 final victory over Colombia, Fernández posted a video on Instagram that was widely viewed on X. The video showed the Argentine players chanting insulting chants to denigrate French players of African descent.
The same chants – from some Argentine fans – were heard before the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina, which Argentina won.
French defender Wesley Fofana expressed his anger at his Chelsea teammate by reposting the video and describing the chants as “unbridled racism”.
Chelsea and France striker Christopher Nkunku followed Fofana and said at X: “God bless her”, referring to the derogatory words used by the Argentine team.
Fernández apologized on Instagram, admitting that the song “contains highly offensive language,” but added: “These words do not reflect my beliefs or my character. … I am against discrimination in any form and I apologize for getting carried away by the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.”
Enzo Fernández joined Chelsea in 2023 and has made 46 appearances. Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is demanding action from FIFA. In response to an article in L'Equipe about the derogatory chants, she responded to X: “Pathetic. Behavior that is all the more unacceptable when it is repeated. @FIFAcom: A reaction?”
FIFA also announced that it was investigating the incident after the French Football Federation announced it would file a complaint with world football's governing body over “racist and discriminatory statements”.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said football and its 211 national associations must adopt a zero-tolerance approach to racism and committed in May to reinstating a task force to monitor such incidents.
“FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being investigated,” the governing body said on Wednesday. “FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone, including players, fans and officials.”
It is unclear what jurisdiction FIFA has over the incident on a team bus after a tournament, but the governing body could likely intervene if it considers the Argentine federation's handling of the case unsatisfactory.
Julio Garro, Argentina's Secretary of State for Sports, said on Wednesday that he believed the president of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, and team captain Lionel Messi should apologize for the chants.
“This puts us as a country in a bad light after so much glory,” Garro said in an Argentine radio interview.
