Enzo Fernandez has issued a new apology to his Chelsea teammates and volunteered to donate to an anti-discrimination charity after an offensive video filmed during his international duty surfaced.
The midfielder personally apologized to his Chelsea squad and made a voluntary contribution to an anti-discrimination charity following the circulation of a video of him singing a racist song after Argentina’s Copa America victory earlier this month.
In the video, Fernandez and his Argentina teammates were seen singing a derogatory song targeting the heritage of French players, including Kylian Mbappe, after their 1-0 extra-time win over Colombia in the Copa America final on July 14.
The racist lyrics included, “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.”
The incident sparked global outrage, with Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana condemning Fernandez’s “uninhibited racism” and several other Chelsea players unfollowing him on social media.
In response, Fernandez publicly apologized for his actions.
He has since reconvened with the Chelsea first team in Atlanta for their pre-season tour in the United States.
Fernandez trained and had lunch with his teammates, with Axel Disasi and club captain Reece James playing key roles in mediating the situation.
Fernandez has pledged a significant donation to an anti-discrimination charity, which Chelsea plans to match through the club’s foundation.
The club expressed satisfaction with Fernandez’s conduct and his efforts to make amends, considering the matter closed internally.
However, FIFA continues to investigate Fernandez and several other Argentina players.
Fernandez is expected to make his first pre-season appearance for Chelsea against Club America on Wednesday night.
Enzo Maresca’s team, still seeking their first victory on their U.S. tour, previously drew 2-2 with Wrexham and lost 4-1 to Celtic.
Chelsea will complete their pre-season preparations with matches against Manchester City and Real Madrid, followed by a home friendly against Inter before the Premier League season begins. Chelsea will host City on the opening weekend.
