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Chelsea have opened an internal disciplinary procedure after Wesley Fofana described a video posted on social media by teammate Enzo Fernandez as “uninhibited racism”.
Fernandez has apologised for posting footage that showed some of Argentina football’s players singing chants described as “racially offensive and discriminatory” by the French Football Federation (FFF), who have vowed to file a complaint to Fifa.
Defender Fofana posted a clip of his club colleague’s video on social media platform X with the caption: “Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.”
The chants came after Argentina’s Copa America final win over Colombia. The 23-year-old midfielder Fernández has apologised on Instagram.
“The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words,” Fernandez wrote. “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 character or beliefs. I am truly sorry.”
Chelsea have confirmed that they will be opening a disciplinary procedure against Fernandez.
“Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable,” the Stamford Bridge club said in a statement. “We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.
“We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure.”
The chants are reported to have been sung by some supporters after Argentina beat France on penalties in the final of the World Cup in 2022.
The FFF said in a statement: “Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which are contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly appeal to his Argentinian counterpart and Fifa and to file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory remarks.”
