Chelsea have initiated an internal disciplinary procedure following a social media controversy involving players Wesley Fofana and Enzo Fernandez.
The incident began when Fofana criticized a video posted by Fernandez, describing it as “uninhibited racism.”
The video, which showed Argentina’s football players singing chants deemed “racially offensive and discriminatory” by the French Football Federation (FFF), was posted by Fernandez in the aftermath of Argentina’s Copa America final win over Colombia.
The FFF has announced plans to file a complaint with FIFA regarding the chants.
Fofana shared a clip of Fernandez’s video on the social media platform X, captioning it, “Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.”
In response to the backlash, Fernandez issued an apology on Instagram, stating, “The song includes highly offensive language, and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize 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 released a statement confirming the disciplinary action and reaffirming the club’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behavior completely unacceptable,” the statement read.
“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 controversial chants were reportedly sung by some supporters following Argentina’s victory over France in the World Cup final in 2022.
The FFF, condemning the remarks, stated, “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.”
