Enzo Fernández’s return to the River Plate club was mired in controversy when fans began singing an offensive song aimed at black players on the France team. The Chelsea midfielder, 23, has found himself at the center of a storm of racism since he posted a video in which he and several of his Argentina teammates sang a discriminatory chant on the team bus after their victory. in the Copa América.

The video sparked outrage among some of his Chelsea team-mates, with defender Wesley Fofana describing the chant as ‘rampant racism’. Chelsea have launched an investigation into the matter, but controversy escalated when Fernández was welcomed to River Plate ahead of their 2-2 draw with Lanús in Argentina’s Primera División.

The club introduced Fernández to celebrate Argentina’s success in the Copa América final last weekend, but the crowd began singing about the black players on the French team and their heritage. Fernández, who was wearing the club’s shirt and waving to fans, smiled as he walked across the field.

Videos of the chant quickly appeared on social media, with thousands of people at the Monumental Stadium joining in. The English translation of the song is: “Listen, spread the word; They play in France, but they are all from Angola; How beautiful it is! They are going to run; They are ‘cometravas’ like the p**** Mbappe; His mother is Nigerian; His father, Cameroonian. But in the document… Nationality: French.”

‘Cometravas’ is a slang term that loosely translates as someone who has 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual relationships with transgender people.

Fernandez, who played for Argentina when they beat France in the 2022 World Cup final, apologized for his actions earlier this week, saying: “I want to sincerely apologize for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. .

Meia Enzo Fernández, from Chelsea, was honored by the management of River Plate during the game against Lanús.

At the moment he pays homage, to the twisted river at the Monumental Stadium of Núñez, to racist and transphobic music against the French players.

“Escutem,… pic.twitter.com/GTYIxxCMg4

— LIBERTA DEPRE (@liberta___depre) July 21, 2024

“The song contains highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I am against discrimination in all its forms and I apologize for having been carried away by the euphoria of our Copa América celebrations. “That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.”

The French Football Federation (FFF) also stated that it would file a legal complaint over the chant. “The president of the FFF, Phillipe Diallo, strongly condemns the unacceptable racist and discriminatory statements that were made against the players of the French team in the form of a chant sung by the players and supporters of the Argentine team after their victory in the Copa América, which was shared in a video on social media,” the statement said.

“The president of the FFF decided to appeal directly to his Argentine counterpart and FIFA, and file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory comments.”

Lionel Messi, who has been Fernández’s teammate on the Argentine national team, also expressed his opinion on the incident: “It is unfortunate to see how celebratory situations can turn into moments of offense and discrimination. “We must all be aware of the impact of our actions and words, and it is important to learn from these mistakes to promote an environment of respect and unity in sport and in life.”

Messi’s words reflect his commitment to the fight against discrimination and racism, and underline the importance of responsibility and respect on and off the field.