Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez went on Instagram Live from the team's bus after their Copa America final victory over Colombia. The 24-year-old was recording with the camera facing his face from his seat on the bus while he and his teammates sang a song which contains a racist and discriminatory chant.
The chant, which was aimed at the French national team, was condemned by the French Football Federation in a statement on Tuesday. In the statement, FFF president Philippe Diallo urged both the Argentine Football Association and FIFA to take action against the "insulting remarks of a racist and discriminatory nature."
The video quickly went viral online and was criticized by soccer fans on social media. Chelsea F.C., Fernandez's domestic club in the Premier League, reportedly opened an investigation into the video.
On Tuesday evening, Fernandez issued a statement on his Instagram account. Writing in english, Fernandez apologized for the video and said he stands against discrimination.
Enzo Fernández on Instagram in response to a viral video of him and other Argentina players singing about French players with African heritage. pic.twitter.com/LsYyxqoFnP
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 16, 2024
"I want to apologize sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channeld uring the national team celebrations," Fernandez wrote. "The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against racism 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 or my character. I am truly sorry."
His apology came after the video was shared on social media by Wesley Fofana, a central defender with two senior caps for the French national team and Fernandez's teammate at Chelsea, who didn't mince words when offering his thoughts on the video. Fofana wrote in his social media post, "Football in 2024: uninhibited racism."
Le football en 2024 : racisme décomplexé 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/MGkH5wPmNU
— Wesley Fofana (@Wesley_Fofana3) July 16, 2024
Fernandez has made 28 appearances and scored four goals for Argentina since debuting in 2022. He had two assists in five appearances during the 2024 Copa America.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Argentina's Enzo Fernandez Issues Apology Over Controversial Social Media Video.
