Chelsea has condemned all acts of discrimination and has initiated an internal disciplinary procedure following Argentina‘s song was offensive to the French players, the club said in a statement.
French Football Federation (FFF) was announced on Tuesday will file a legal complaint over Chelsea player’s “racist and discriminatory statements” Enzo Fernandez and his Argentine teammates about Franceteam after winning the Copa América last Sunday Colombia.
“Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable,” the club statement said on Wednesday.
“We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.”
Following Argentina 1-0 After winning the final against Colombia, Fernandez posted a video on Instagram that was widely viewed on X. The video showed Argentine players singing offensive chants aimed at French players of African descent.
Similar chants – from some Argentina fans – were heard before France and Argentina met in the 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won.
Fernandez issued a statement apologized on Instagram admitting the song “contains extremely offensive language” but added “those words do not reflect my beliefs or character.
I oppose discrimination in any form and apologize for getting caught up in the excitement of our Copa America celebrations.”
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra wants FIFA to take action. She responded to a L’Equipe article about the offensive chants, write on X: “Pathetic. This behavior is even more unacceptable if repeated. @FIFAcom: reaction?”
FIFA did not confirm on Tuesday whether a French complaint had been filed.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said football and its 211 national federations must have a zero-tolerance approach to racism and in May pledged to re-establish a task force to monitor incidents.
