Enzo Fernández: Racist chants by Argentine footballer and teammates about France increase

CNN
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The fallout from Enzo Fernandez’s racist chant against Argentina’s national team has intensified after Argentina’s undersecretary for sport was sacked, while former France captain Hugo Lloris called it “an attack on the French people”.

Earlier this week, Fernandez apologized for the video, which was posted on Instagram from the team bus after winning the Copa America, saying it does not “reflect my beliefs or my character.” His club Chelsea has launched an internal disciplinary investigation and the French Football Federation has filed a legal complaint.

Julio Garro, Argentina’s undersecretary for sports, told Argentine radio that national team captain Lionel Messi and Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia should apologize.

This led the country’s president, Javier Milei, to dismiss Garro.

“The Presidency of the Republic informs that no government can tell the Argentine National Team, world champion and two-time champion of America, what to comment, what to think or what to do, or any other citizen,” Milei wrote in X on Thursday.

“For this reason, Julio Garro is no longer the Undersecretary of Sports of the Nation.”

However, Garro later “categorically denied” having apologized to Messi.

“It would be disrespectful to those who constantly honour us with their human and sporting qualities,” he wrote in X.

Neither Messi nor Tapia have made any public comments on the incident.

In a separate post, Garro went on to thank Milei for allowing him to be part of her team.

“I am very sorry if my comment offended anyone, that was never my intention, and that is why I have offered my resignation, although I will always be on the other side of discrimination in all its forms,” he wrote.

The country’s vice president, Victoria Villarruel, also criticized Fernández’s critics.

“No colonialist country is going to intimidate us for a song sung on the pitch or for telling the truths they don’t want to admit,” he wrote in X. “Stop pretending to be indignant, hypocrites. Enzo, I support you, Messi, thank you for everything! Argentines always with their heads held high! Long live Argentina!”

But Lloris, who was France’s goalkeeper and captain in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, was scathing of Fernandez and the Argentina team.

In his apology, Fernandez said he was “caught up in euphoria,” but Lloris insisted that was no excuse.

“It doesn’t matter if you are in a moment of euphoria because you have won a major trophy,” he told the BBC. “It demands even more responsibility when you are a winner. You don’t want to hear or see this kind of thing in football. We are all against discrimination and racism.

“I just think and hope it’s a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes and I hope they learn from it. They[Argentina]are the face of football right now, in South America, in the world. They deserve a lot of credit for what they have done on the pitch over the last four or five years.

“But when you win, you are an example for others, especially for children. It was a full-blown attack on the French people, especially on French people who have some African origin and family.”

Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba posted a quote from French outlet Liberation on his X account, writing: “’Argentina, land of asylum for fugitive ex-Nazis. Since 1945, Perón has welcomed war criminals’ – Liberation.”

He added: “And this surprises you…”