Enzo Fernandez's 'racist' song controversy explained: Why is there bad blood between Argentina and France? Where did the chant come from and what has the reaction been to the storm in both nations?

Footage of Enzo Fernandez and his Argentina team-mates enthusiastically singing a song branded as 'racist and discriminatory' by the French Football Federation has reopened a feud between the two nations.

Fernandez had shared the video on social media amid Argentina’s celebrations after their Copa America win on Sunday, with the controversial song appearing to claim that French players are from 'Angola', or have a 'Nigerian' mother and a 'Cameroonian' father.

While Fernandez has since issued a public apology on social media and apologised to his Chelsea team-mates in private, the storm has thrown the Premier League club into a civil war.

His French team-mate Wesley Fofana accused him of 'uninhibited racism' and was one of several players to unfollow the Argentina on social media.

Calls have been made for Fernandez and his Argentina team-mates to be investigated and potentially sanctioned, but the Copa America winners have been supported by their Government back home amid the storm.

Mail Sport tackles the big questions surrounding the controversial chant, including how it originated and what the reaction has been from key parties involved.

What is the story behind the chant? 

The chant initially emerged at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when supporters wearing Argentina shirts appeared on TyC Sports, one of their main sports channels.

The fans sang that France players were 'all from Angola' and chanted 'they f*** transvestites like f***ing Mbappe', in an apparent reference to the the forward having a reported romance with transgender model Ines Rau.

Only one player in the French squad for the World Cup, Eduardo Camavinga, was born in Angola. He grew up in a refugee camp before the Real Madrid midfielder and his family moved to France when he was two.

The reporter conducting the interview with the group of Argentina fans was seen asking the fans to stop, but the chant had been broadcast in full.

Argentina would ultimately play and beat France in the World Cup final, winning a penalty shoot-out to claim sport's ultimate prize.

Mbappe and other players of African descent on the France team were racially abused on social media after the final, prompting calls from Government officials in France for FIFA to investigate.

The bad blood between Argentina and France continued when Emiliano Martinez received widespread backlash for taunting Mbappe after the final.

Martinez had called for a minute's silence for Mbappe in the dressing room and later held aloft a baby doll with the striker's face on it.

The goalkeeper later claimed he had ‘huge respect’ for Mbappe.

The chant reemerged with Fernandez's video, with players heard chanting the first two lines before someone was heard saying 'cut the video'.

 How have France responded?

The French Football Federation have condemned the chants and have called for the Argentine FA and FIFA to respond.

'The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks which were made against the players of the French team in the context of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team after its victory in the Copa America and broadcast in a video on social media,' an FFF statement read.

'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.'

Former France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who captained the team in their defeat in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, slammed the chants with the veteran highlighting that Argentina are currently the 'face of football' following their success.

'It doesn't matter if you are in a moment of euphoria because you have won an important trophy,' Lloris said, as per the BBC. 'It demands even more responsibility when you are a winner.

'You don't want to hear or see this kind of thing in football. We all stand against discrimination and racism.

'I just think and hope it is a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes and hopefully they will learn from it. 

They are the face of football right now, in South America, in the world. They deserve a lot of credit for what they have done on the field for the last four or five years. But when you win, you are an example for others, especially kids.

'It was a proper attack about the French people, especially for the French people who have some African origin and family.'

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera also slammed the chants on X, formerly Twitter. 

'Behaviour all the more unacceptable because it is repeated,' Oudea-Castera wrote, adding 'FIFA: a reaction?'.

FIFA has since confirmed chants by Argentina's players are being investigated. 

'FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into,' a FIFA spokesperson said. 'FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials.'

What has the reaction been in Argentina?

The Argentine FA has yet to publicly comment on the chants by its players, while the storm merited a small section on the Argentine sports newspaper Ole on Thursday.

Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano, who is coaching Argentina's squad at the upcoming Olympics in Paris, has spoken publicly and defended Fernandez and the players.

'If there is something that we Argentines are not, it is racists, far from it,' Mascherano told Ole.

'If there is something that we are as a country, it is totally inclusive. In Argentina, people from all over the world live and we treat them as they should be treated.

'I know Enzo, he's a great guy and he has no problem with that. What happens is that many times during a celebration, a part of a video can be taken out of context.

'You have to understand the culture of each country and know that sometimes what we perceive as a joke can be misinterpreted in other places. 

'Enzo also made it known on social media that he was apologising. Sometimes people try to make things much bigger than they are.'

The case had provoked a politicial storm on Wednesday after Julio Garro, the under-secretary for sports, suggested that team captain Lionel Messi and local FA president Claudio Tapia should issue an apology for the chants.

'I think the captain of the national team should come out and apologise for this case, as should the president of the AFA,' Garro said during a television interview.

'I think it is appropriate, it is something that leaves us as a country in a bad position, with so much glory,' Garro continued. 'But I think it is an opportunity to deal with this mistake.'

Garro since performed a U-turn on social media, writing 'I categorically deny that I have asked Messi to apologise. It would be a lack of respect for those who permanently honor us with their human and sporting quality.'

The politician's call for an apology to be issued ultimately led to him being sacked by Argentine's right-wing president Javier Milei.

'The Office of the President informs that no government can tell the Argentine national team, world champion and two-time champion of the Americas, or any other citizen, what to say, what to think or what to do,' a statement read.

'For this reason, Julio Garro ceases to be Undersecretary of Sports of the Nation.'

Milei, who became Argentina's president last year, had made headlines during his election campaign for a political stunt where he held up a chainsaw to illustrate what he would to do 'woke' ideology.

The 53-year-old had earlier shared a post on X calling for Garro's dismissal.

'We all know how much the javo loves and supports Messi even since he was totally criticized,' the post read.

'Saying that Messi has to APOLOGIZE to some colonizing Europeans for a song that also tells the truth, is going TOTALLY AGAINST the javo ideology. GARRO HAS TO BE OUT RIGHT NOW.'

Argentina's squad were also controversially backed by the country's vice-president Victoria Villarruel, who claimed they would not tolerate a 'colonist country' attempting to intimidate them for 'telling the truths that they do not want to admit'.

'Argentina is a sovereign and free country. We never had colonies or second-class citizens. We never imposed our way of life on anyone. But we are not going to tolerate them doing it to us either,' Villarruel wrote.

'Argentina was made with the sweat and courage of the Indians, the Europeans, the Creoles and the blacks like Remedios del Valle, Sergeant Cabral and Bernardo de Monteagudo.

'No colonialist country is going to intimidate us for a court song or for telling the truths that they do not want to admit. Stop feigning indignation, hypocrites.

'Enzo, I support you, Messi, thank you for everything! Argentines always with their heads held high! Long live Argentina!'

Villarruel's post included images of Remedios del Valle, Sergeant Cabral and Bernardo de Monteagudo, who were prominent black soliders and voices in Argentine's battle for independence.

Garro insisted he had offered his resignation from his post after being sacked from his Government role. 

'I am very sorry if my comment offended anyone, that was never my intention, and that is why I made my resignation available, although I will always be on the other side of discrimination in all its forms,' Garro posted.

How have Fernandez and Chelsea responded?

Fernandez, Chelsea's £106.8million midfielder, issued a public apology on social media.

He wrote: ‘The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise 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’s own statement followed, the reason for their delay being that they wanted to speak to Fernandez first in order to verify the video was real. 

Once they had heard from Fernandez, they announced: ‘Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable. 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.’

Fernandez had also apologised to his team-mates with a private apology sent to the squad via their internal messaging system.

Chelsea's squad is made up of a significant number of footballers from France, such as Fofana, Gusto, Nkunku, Lesley Ugochukwu, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile.

Sources speaking anonymously to Mail Sport said there was fury among the French contingent as they began to unfollow Fernandez on Instagram, while Fofana went one further by uploading a screenshot of his team-mate with the caption: ‘Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.’

Chelsea's civil war was further highlighted when strikers Nicolas Jackson and David Datro Fofana posted contrasting messages on social media. 

Jackson seemingly showed solidarity for his friend by posting a picture of Fernandez playing with a young black mascot. 

Datro Fofana followed with a post of his own which read: ‘The football that I like is multi-ethnic. Racism in all its forms should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. These acts have no place in football or even anywhere else. This fight really needs to be taken seriously by everyone involved in this sport.’