AP – Chelsea has begun disciplinary action after midfielder Enzo Fernandez was involved in a video where members of Argentina’s Copa America-winning squad appeared to sing about French players with African heritage.

FIFA also said it was also looking into the incident after the French football federation pledged to file a complaint with the sport’s world governing body over “racist and discriminatory remarks”.

Fernandez said he was “truly sorry” and Chelsea said discriminatory behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.

“We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome,” the Premier League club said in a statement yesterday. “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.”

Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida. Afterwards a video posted on Instagram appeared to show Fernandez and Argentina players chanting about France’s team as they celebrated.

The same chants – by some Argentina fans – emerged before the team beat France in the World Cup final in 2022.

Fernandez apologised 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,” he said on Instagram. “I am truly sorry.”

Fernandez became the most expensive player in British football history after joining Chelsea from Benfica for GBP106.7 million (USD131.4 million) in 2023.

Chelsea’s response comes after one of Fernandez’s clubmates, France defender Wesley Fofana, posted the video on his social media accounts on Tuesday and called it “uninhibited racism”.

Fofana has family ties to Ivory Coast and is among several French players who are Black in the Chelsea first-team squad.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said football and its 211 national federations must have a zero tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents. “FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into,” the governing body said yesterday.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin