It was a 48-second clip that sparked controversy and dismay across the footballing world, prompting political condemnation and defiance.
It has even overshadowed Argentina’s Copa America triumph in Miami on Sunday because the video came from the victors’ celebrations on their team bus.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez live streamed himself and some of his team-mates singing an offensive chant about the French national team — with derogatory references to France internationals of African descent.
The controversy dates back to the 2022 World Cup. Before the countries met in the final of that competition, pockets of Argentina fans were recorded chanting about how certain French players had African ancestry or were first- or second-generation immigrants.
The main words of the song are: “They play for France but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French.” Another part of the song contained transphobia.
Now its repetition by players celebrating a win over Colombia has caused ruptures at Fernandez’s club Chelsea, who have initiated disciplinary proceedings against their player. On top of this, several of Fernandez’s team-mates have condemned the incident and unfollowed him on social media.
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Chelsea and the Enzo Fernandez fallout: Anger, apologies and investigations
The 23-year-old has apologised, but the French Football Federation (FFF) intends to file a legal complaint.
France’s sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera branded the chanting “pathetic” on Tuesday. Posting on X, she wrote: “Behavior that is all the more unacceptable if it is repeated.” Then she tagged FIFA’s account, asking world football’s governing body for a “reaction”.
Pathétique.
Comportements d’autant plus inacceptables qu’ils se répètent. @FIFAcom : une réaction ?@FFF @equipedefrance @Sports_gouv
— Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (@AOC1978) July 16, 2024
In Argentina, top-ranking politicians also responded. The South American country’s vice president, Victoria Villarruel, defended Fernandez (top image) and the team, saying she would not tolerate the actions of a “colonialist” country.
“No colonialist country is going to intimidate us for a song on the pitch or for telling the truths they don’t want to admit,” Villarruel posted.
“Argentina is a sovereign and free country. We never had colonies or second-class citizens. We have never imposed our way of life on anyone.
“But neither will we tolerate that they do it to us… Enzo I support you, Lionel Messi, thanks for everything! Argentinians always hold your head up high.”
Later on Wednesday, Javier Milei, Argentina’s president, removed the undersecretary of sport, Julio Garro, from his position for suggesting that team captain Messi apologise for the chants.
“No government can tell the world champion and two-time South American champion, Argentina national team or any citizen, what to say,” the presidential office wrote on X.
“For this reason, Julio Garro is no longer the undersecretary of sport.”
Other Argentinian players rushed to Fernandez’s defence. “If any of Enzo’s team-mates feel offended, the way is to call him, not post on social media. Unfollowing him seems pointless. You can call him and say: ‘This isn’t okay, why don’t you post a message?’,” said Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.
The damage may not be quickly undone at Stamford Bridge, though. On Thursday, The Athletic reported the extent of the anger it has caused in the dressing room.
“There has always been a strong togetherness in the squad and the club just needed the right coach to make it work,” a source close to a senior player said, speaking anonymously to protect relationships.
“But this incident has changed that. It will be interesting to see what happens when Fernandez goes back to the club.” Another individual familiar with the team environment described the situation as being even more dire and that the camp had initially been “fractured”.
Chelsea’s French players have unfollowed Fernandez en masse on Instagram and Wesley Fofana posted a clip of Fernandez’s video on X with the caption, “Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.” Fofana’s account was then subject to a flood of racist abuse.
Le football en 2024 : racisme décomplexé 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/MGkH5wPmNU
— Wesley Fofana (@Wesley_Fofana3) July 16, 2024
Fernandez has since reached out to his team-mates to express his remorse for what went on and released a statement on Instagram apologising.
Chelsea’s Senegal international Nicolas Jackson also posted on his Instagram account a picture displaying two images of Fernandez. One was a picture of him sitting with the midfielder, the other was a short clip of the 23-year-old engaging with a junior Black supporter in the past. He titled it, “Enzo Fernandez and this young fan.” The post has since been deleted.
Perhaps an indication that feelings are still simmering was provided by striker David Datro Fofana, who also expressed his dismay at the events.
“The football that I like is multi-ethnic,” he wrote on his Instagram account. “Racism in all its forms should be condemned in the strongest possible term. These acts have no place in football or anywhere else. This fight really needs to be taken seriously by everyone involved in this sport.”
Argentina players have flocked to defend their team-mate. “Enzo has already apologised, and he explained what happened,” Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister told Argentine radio station Urbana Play.
“There’s nothing more to add. We know Enzo, we know he would never do it with bad intentions. It’s more of a chant that stuck and it’s more in a mocking tone than anything else. The most important thing is that Enzo apologised and we have to give value to that.”
Sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships, claim Mac Allister was on the second bus.
But even on Fernandez’s bus, it appeared that at least someone felt uneasy. As the chant begins, a voice can be heard saying, “Corta (el) vivo” — stop the live.
In a post on X by Argentine sports newspaper Ole, Fernandez’s father, Raul, gave his thoughts on the controversy.
“I know who my son is,” it read. “He is not like that. He’s not racist, never. It’s hard for a European to understand our football culture like chants and celebrations. He recorded that live video at an inopportune moment. It was bad, he didn’t even realise what he was singing.
“In 2014, when Germany beat us, they imitated how gauchos walk and called us ignorant. In 2018, France mocked Messi for his height. We never came out to say we were being discriminated against.
“Enzo feels bad, he didn’t mean it, he already apologised on social media and to his Chelsea team-mates.
“But his team-mate at Chelsea didn’t even ask him to apologise or anything, he could have contacted him and asked for it, but no, he straight went to social media in a minute.”
Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes also spoke out. “This scandal came out of nowhere,” he said at an event to promote his personal wine brand in Mendoza.
“We have a different way of living football, without any intention of disrespecting anyone. As Enzo said on his Instagram, he apologised and it has to end there.”
But France’s former goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who captained his country at the past two World Cups — including during their run to the final in Qatar — said the players involved should have shown “more responsibility”.
“They (Argentina) deserve a lot of credit for what they have done on the field for the last four or five years,” Lloris said. “But when you win, you are an example for others, especially kids. It was a proper attack about the French people, especially for the French people who have African origin and family.”
Fernandez is on holiday but the £106million ($135m) signing is expected to fly to the United States to join up with the Chelsea squad, who depart for their pre-season tour on Monday, the following week. One person familiar with the team environment told The Athletic that they feel some kind of mediation will have to take place.
The English Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has contacted the club to offer its support.
Other than Chelsea and Liverpool, the other Premier League clubs of Argentina internationals declined to comment. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has been contacted but not responded.
Bayer Leverkusen, the club of midfielder Exequiel Palacios, said: “To our knowledge, Exequiel Palacios was not involved in this situation.
“Like all the other tournament participants, he is on vacation. When he returns we will certainly speak to him, as we do with all the other players.”
Fernandez himself may well also be on a beach somewhere, hoping the heat dies down.
But his video clip has raised an ugly issue that may linger on in the minds of players, fans and politicians around the world.
(Top photo: Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)