The French Football Federation (FFF) has declared its intention to take decisive action following the incident involving racist chants from members of Argentina’s Copa America winning team. The FFF president, Philippe Diallo, strongly denounced the reprehensible racist and discriminatory remarks directed towards players of the France team. The chants were disturbingly heard in a live video shared on social media by Enzo Fernandez, the talented midfielder from Chelsea and the Argentine national team, while aboard the team bus celebrating their Copa victory over Colombia in Miami.
Several players, including Fernandez, were captured on the video singing a chant originating from the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France. Regrettably, this chant included targeted insults towards France’s star striker Kylian Mbappe, incorporating homophobic slurs. In response to the gravity of these offensive remarks, which flagrantly contradict the values of sportsmanship and human rights, the president of the FFF has chosen to directly address his Argentine counterpart and FIFA. Moreover, the FFF plans to lodge a formal legal complaint against the racial and discriminatory nature of these comments.
Notably, Wesley Fofana, Fernandez’s teammate at Chelsea, openly criticized the video on various social media platforms. Fofana expressed his dismay by stating, “Football in 2024: racism without a complex,” highlighting the persistent issue of racism in the sport. The French Sports Minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera, also joined the chorus of disapproval by urging FIFA to intervene decisively in such cases of blatant misconduct. Oudea-Castera condemned the repeated unacceptable behavior, emphasizing the necessity for a response from FIFA to address these disturbing incidents.
The longstanding rivalry between Argentina and France has been intensified since their dramatic encounter at the 2018 World Cup, where France emerged victorious over the South American team. This history of competitive friction between the two nations has further underscored the importance of combatting instances of discrimination and promoting mutual respect within the realm of international football. In a similar vein, the FFF had previously taken a stand against racist comments on social media, reflecting their unwavering commitment to combatting discrimination in all its forms.
