“They play for France, but they come from Angola,” sang Argentina players after winning the Copa América on Sunday (14.Jul)
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández apologized on Tuesday (16.Jul.2024) for the chant recorded during the celebration of winning the Copa América title on Sunday (14.Jul). The celebration, which took place on the team bus, included lyrics with racist and transphobic content directed at the French players.
“I want to sincerely apologize for a video posted on my Instagram account during the national team celebration. The song includes highly offensive language and there is no excuse for those words.”said the player in a post on Instagram this Tuesday (16.Jul).
“I stand against discrimination in all its forms and I apologize for having gotten carried away by the euphoria of the Copa América celebrations. That video, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.”he stated.
Understand the case
The FFF (French Football Federation) has appealed to FIFA and to the AFA (Argentine Football Association) to punish the Argentine players who sang racist songs against athletes from the French national team, live (broadcast) in the early hours of Monday (15.Jul), during the celebration for winning the Copa América title.
The video, made on the Argentine national team bus, was broadcast on midfielder Enzo Fernández’s Instagram account, and was soon shared on other social networks.
Watch (40s):
“Given the gravity of these shocking statements, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF has decided to directly question his Argentine counterpart and FIFA and to file a legal complaint for insulting comments of a racial and discriminatory nature,” says the official announcement published this Tuesday (16.Jul) by FFF.
The racist lyrics had already been sung by Argentine fans in the final of the World Cup in Qatar, when Argentina won the match after beating France on penalties.
“They play for France, but they come from Angola (…), their father is Cambodian, but his passport is French”sang the players of the Argentine national team in the early hours of Monday (15.Jul).
Still in a note, the president of the FFF Philippe Diallo condemned “vehemently the unacceptable racist and discriminatory comments” uttered by the Argentine athletes. The leader considered the lyrics “insulting, racist and discriminatory in nature”.
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