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4 months ago
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Wesley Fofana has been targeted with racist abuse on social media after accusing Chelsea team-mate Enzo Fernandez of 'uninhibited racism'.
Fernandez released a statement on social media on Tuesday stating he 'stands against discrimination in all forms' and that he apologises for 'getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations' after a video of members of the Argentina team on a bus went viral.
The statement came after a video appeared to show the Argentina players singing about how French players are 'from Angola' or have a 'Nigerian' mother and a 'Cameroonian' father.
Fofana, who is French and the son of an Ivorian father, criticised the video, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to share the footage with the caption: 'Football in 2024: uninhibited racism'.
Now, on the back of his words, trolls have gone to the comments section on Fofana's Instagram to aim racist abuse at the defender in the latest sour turn of events.
Wesley Fofana (pictured) has been targeted with racist abuse online after accusing Chelsea team-mate Enzo Fernandez of 'unhinited racism'
Fofana took to social media to criticise a video that seemed to show Fernandez (right) singing a racist chant
Fofana reposted the video via X alongside the words: 'Football in 2024: uninhibited racism'
CONTENT WARNING: RACISM
One Instagram user wrote: 'Go back to africa man.'
Another added: 'N**** truth is truth. Don't cry on Instagram, pick some cotton.'
A third wrote: 'Stop cryin monki.'
Fofana has now disabled comments on recent posts, but trolls have taken to older posts to share similar.
In a post from 2023, one user wrote a quote from the chant, while another wrote: 'But are you of Angola and play in France?'
Fernandez's full apology read: 'I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations.'
He went on to add: '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 beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry.'
Fernandez has taken to social media to apologise for his actions following the criticism
French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo branded the footage 'racist and discriminatory' and vowed to take legal action with a complaint to FIFA.
'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,' added the FFF.
Recordings of Fernandez's video show the team seemingly at least singing the Angola portion of the song while he grins, though he ends it before they reach the part relating to Kylian Mbappe.
Fernandez had been filming before Argentina's players started singing this particular song but ended the Instagram live seconds after the racist chant began.
The song first emerged around the 2022 World Cup, when Argentina beat France in the final on penalties in Qatar.
Chelsea are conducting their own probe after the man they spent a British-record £107million on in January 2023 found himself at the centre of a storm. Sources at Chelsea say they are taking the matter seriously and will proceed accordingly.
Fofana, Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto, meanwhile, have all unfollowed Fernandez on Instagram.
The chant in full
'Listen, spread the word;
They play in France, but they are all from Angola;
How nice it is! They are going to run;
They are "cometravas"* like f***ing Mbappe;
Their mom is Nigerian;
Their dad, Cameroonian.
But in the document, nationality: French.'
*'Cometravas' is a slang term that loosely translates to somebody who has sex with transgender people.
Sources close to the players have told Mail Sport that Chelsea's French contingent - which consists of Fofana, Malo Gusto, Lesley Ugochukwu, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile - are furious with Fernandez.
The club issued a statement on Wednesday morning, writing: '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.'
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