The French Football Federation (FFF) is filing a legal complaint against the Argentina National team over racist and discriminatory remarks aimed at French footballers.
The lawsuit comes after Argentina’s Copa America win on Sunday, July 14, 2024, where Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez posted a video of himself and colleagues in a post-match chant, mocking French players who were of African heritage. The same chants were made by the Argentina fans before France and Argentina clashed in the World Cup final two years ago, with Argentina emerging as the winner.
“They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French,” the Argentines sang in the footage.
On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the FFF released a statement to address the viral video posted by Enzo Fernandez.
Join our WhatsApp Channel for more news
“The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, strongly condemns the unacceptable racist and discriminatory comments made against the players of the French team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team after its victory in Copa America, and broadcast on social networks,” the statement said.
READ ALSO:
- Leicester City Signs Fatawu Issahaku on a Five-Year Contract
- Cote d’Ivoire Becomes 10th African Nation to Join UN Water Convention
“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 to file a lawsuit for abusive remarks of a racial and discriminatory nature,” excerpts of the statement read.
Following the comments and backlash on social media, Enzo Fernandez who also plays for Chelsea, posted an apology via his socials on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
“I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. 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,” he wrote.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino stated that football and its 211 national federations must have a zero-tolerance policy towards racism. He relaunched a task force to monitor similar cases in football in May 2024.
