Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez issued an apology over Instagram on Tuesday for his role in an “offensive” song about the French national team. The incident occurred after his Argentina squad defeated Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America final on Sunday.
“I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations,” Fernandez 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 beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry.”
The controversial incident came during an Instagram Live stream that Fernandez captured with his victorious Argentina teammates on their charter flight. Fernandez, along with several Albiceleste players, could be heard singing: “On passport, French nationality, listen, spread the word, they play in France, but they are all…”
At this point, Fernandez was instructed to cut the video, and it remains unclear if the chant was continued. The complete lyrics to the tune are: “Listen, spread the word, they play in France, but they are all from Angola, they are going to run well, they like to sleep with trans people, their mum is Nigerian, their dad is Cameroonian, but on the passport it says: French.”
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The allegedly racist chant was first popularised by Argentina supporters at the World Cup in Qatar, where the South American giants faced and ultimately defeated France in the title game. It suggests that many of the Les Bleus players who were either born in Africa or descended from the continent are not truly French because of this heritage. Many fans also took aim at Kylian Mbappe’s rumoured relationship with Ines Rau, the first transgender woman to feature on the cover of Playboy magazine.
Fernandez arrived at Stamford Bridge in January 2023 after Chelsea made him the most expensive signing in Premier League history at €121 million. The Blues locker room features a notable French-African presence, many of whom have taken public exception to Fernandez’s role in the chants.
Wesley Fofana, who was born to an Ivorian father in Marseille and represents France internationally, responded to Fernandez’s video on X by writing: “Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.” The 23-year-old centre-back was also one of three Chelsea players, including Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto, to allegedly unfollow the Argentine on Instagram after the incident.