France Football Federation To File Complaint Against Argentina For Alleged Racist Celebratory Chants

A video on X showed Argentina players including Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, appearing to sing about French players with African heritage

Outlook Sports Desk

Updated on: 17 July 2024 7:59 am

The Lionel Messi-led Argentina retained the Copa America trophy, defeating Colombia 1-0 in the final at Hard Rock Stadium. Photo: AP

The French Football Federation (FFF) will be taking a legal action against the Argentine men's football team over “racist and discriminatory remarks” by Argentina players in post-match chants about France’s team after their Copa America title win. (More Football News)

Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida. A video posted on Instagram by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who plays for Chelsea, and widely viewed on X showed Argentina players appearing to sing about French players with African heritage.

As a reply, the FFF issued an official statement in regards to the racial chant.

“Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values ??of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly challenge his Argentine counterpart and FIFA and to file a legal complaint for insulting remarks of a racial and discriminatory nature,” it said in a statement.

Colombian fans watch on from the security gates at the Hard Rock Stadium. - AP

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During Fernandez's Instagram feed, the players could be heard singing, "“They play for France, but they are from Angola. His mother is Nigerian, his father is Cameroonian. But on the passport: French.”

Suddenly someone from the bus asked the Chelsea man to 'cut the video' and he immediately ended the broadcast.

One of Fernandez’s Chelsea teammates, France defender Wesley Fofana, posted the Argentina team video on his social media accounts Tuesday and called it “uninhibited racism.”

Fernandez, though has apologised for the video. He said, ""I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. The song included highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words," Fernandez wrote on his Instagram story.

"I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry," he wrote further.

FIFA could not immediately confirm if the French complaint had been filed.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said football and its 211 national federations must have a zero tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents.

(With AP inputs)