2024-07-18 03:18:23
The slogans from the team bus after the victory over Colombia in the final of the “Copa America” on Sunday in Miami were posted on social networks by Enzo Fernandez, the midfielder of the London “Chelsea” and the Argentina national team.
Some players, including 23-year-old Fernandez, sing the slogan from the 2022 World Cup final, in which Argentina beat France.
The slogan also targets French forward Kylian Mbappe and contains racist and homophobic slurs.
“FIFA is aware of the video circulating on social media and the incident is being investigated,” a FIFA spokesman said.
“FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination, including against players, fans and officials,” he added.
Chelsea previously announced that they had launched an internal investigation into Fernandes over the incident.
Fernandes has apologised, and the club said in a statement that it had launched “internal disciplinary proceedings”.
“Chelsea believes that any form of discriminatory behavior is completely unacceptable,” the statement read.
“We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use it as an educational opportunity,” the London club said in a statement.
Fernandes, who joined Chelsea from Lisbon’s Benfica in 2023 for a Premier League record fee of £105m (€125.1m), admitted in his apology speech that “the slogan contains very offensive language and the use of these words is not absolutely no excuse”.
“I stand against any kind of discrimination and I apologize for the hurt caused in the euphoria of the Copa America celebrations,” says the midfielder.
The French Football Federation (FFF) complained to FIFA about the slogans on Monday.
FFF president Philippe Diallo “condemned the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks about the French national team players”.
France defeated Argentina in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup.
2024-07-18 03:18:23