- Fernandez created controversy after posting a racist video on Instagram
- The player later expressed his remorse to his teammates regarding the contentious video
- The Argentinian has rejoined the Chelsea squad for pre-season activities
Enzo Fernandez has rejoined the Chelsea squad in the United States, two weeks after the £106.8million midfielder was embroiled in controversy following a video he uploaded to Instagram during Argentina’s Copa America celebrations.
Fernandez landed in Atlanta on Monday and promptly apologized to his teammates in person.
He had maintained communication with his fellow players while publicly and privately expressing regret for filming a video of himself and other members of the Argentinian national team singing an inappropriate song about their French opponents.
Fernandez has willingly committed to donating to an anti-discrimination charity in acknowledgment of his error, a gesture that was well received by his Chelsea bosses.
The club has also promised to match this donation through their charitable branch, the Chelsea Foundation.
Enzo Fernandez has joined the Chelsea squad for their pre-season tour of the United States
Enzo Maresca recently played down talk of the club being in the midst of a racism crisis – after Fernandez uploaded a video online singing a song described as ‘racist and discriminatory’
This incident posed an early challenge for the new head coach Enzo Maresca, with captain Reece James and defender Axel Disasi taking lead roles in discussions with Chelsea’s players.
Disasi is one of six French players on the club’s tour, which also features Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Christopher Nkunku. Fernandez has begun training with the squad and shared lunch with his teammates.
Mail Sport reported two weeks ago that Chelsea was conducting an internal review of the incident, resulting in an uncomfortable return for Fernandez as he faced his teammates.
Fofana was among those who expressed their disapproval on social media regarding the Argentinian chants, labeling them as ‘uninhibited racism’.
The song has its origins in the 2022 World Cup final, in which Argentina triumphed over France, featuring lyrics that suggested French players are ‘from Angola’ or have a ‘Nigerian’ mother and a ‘Cameroonian’ father.
This situation provoked outrage not only from Fernandez’s teammates but also from the French Football Federation, which stated: ‘In light of the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which contradict the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF has decided to confront his Argentine counterpart and FIFA directly and file a legal complaint regarding these insulting comments deemed racial and discriminatory.’
