Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez says his relationship with his team-mates was strengthened by the way he dealt with the fallout from posting a “racist and discriminatory” video on social media.
Fernandez, 24, filmed himself and his Argentina team-mates singing offensive songs after winning the Copa America last year.
The footage was criticised by his Chelsea colleague Wesley Fofana, who described it as “uninhibited racism”.
Fofana later accepted an apology from Fernandez.
The video led Fernandez, signed from Benfica for a British record fee of £106.8m in January 2023, to say sorry to his team-mates both privately and publicly.
Speaking about the episode for the first time to GiveMeSport, Fernandez said: “What happened [being accused of singing a racist song] is not typical of who I am.”
Fernandez, who became Chelsea’s vice-captain that summer under manager Enzo Maresca, explained how he cut short his post-tournament holiday to apologise in person during their pre-season tour of the United States, when he also released a written statement saying he was “truly sorry”.
When asked if the episode strengthened his relationship with his team-mates, he replied: “Yes, absolutely.” He added, “It was a tough time, but my teammates understood me.
“It was a euphoric moment in which I didn’t want to hurt anyone. It was just a song that we sing in Argentina as part of ‘football folklore’, as we call it.
“I tried to apologise to the squad to show my team-mates that I’m not the type to discriminate or judge others. They understood my message, and that’s where it all ended.”
The French Football Federation (FFF) filed a complaint to FIFA about the video, which it called “racist and discriminatory” as it targeted the ethnicity of their players.
However, no punishment was issued by the Premier League, Football Association or UEFA, as it fell under the jurisdiction of the South American governing body CONMEBOL because it happened on international duty with Argentina.
Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination group, raised its concerns with the world governing body, FIFA, in January regarding the lack of action taken against Fernandez.
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