Chelsea have taken disciplinary action after midfielder Enzo Fernandez was involved in a video in which members of Argentina’s Copa America winning team shouted racist abuse at French players of African descent.
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”.
Fernandez said he was “sincerely sorry” and Chelsea said discriminatory behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.
“We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people of all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome,” the English Premier League club said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology. We will use this as an opportunity to clarify the matter. The club has initiated internal disciplinary proceedings.”
Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday. A video posted afterward on Instagram showed Fernandez and the Argentine players singing chants about the French team as they celebrated.
The same chants – from some Argentine fans – were heard before the team defeated France in the 2022 World Cup final.
The derogatory chants are specifically aimed at French players of African origin who come from several countries and hold a French passport.
Fernandez apologized for “being swept away by the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.”
“This video, this moment, these words do not reflect my beliefs or my character,” he said on Instagram. “I am truly sorry.”
Chelsea’s reaction came after one of Fernandez’s clubmates, French defender Wesley Fofana, posted the video on his social media accounts, calling it “unbridled racism.”
Fofana has family ties to the Ivory Coast and is one of several black Frenchmen in Chelsea’s first-team squad.