File image of Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez celebrating the Copa America win with household
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
The French soccer federation pledged to file a criticism with FIFA over “racist and discriminatory remarks” by Argentina gamers in post-match chants about France’s group after their Copa America title win.
Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida. A video posted on Instagram by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who performs for Chelsea, and broadly seen on X confirmed Argentina gamers showing to sing about French gamers with African heritage.
Certainly one of Fernandez’s Chelsea teammates, France defender Wesley Fofana, posted the Argentina group video on his social media accounts Tuesday and referred to as it “uninhibited racism.”
Fofana, who has household ties to Ivory Coast, is amongst a number of French gamers who’re Black within the Chelsea first-team squad.
The identical chants — by some Argentina followers — emerged earlier than France and Argentina met within the World Cup closing two years in the past, which Argentina gained.
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“Given the seriousness of those stunning remarks, that are opposite to the values of sport and human rights, the FFF president has determined to contact its Argentinian counterpart and FIFA on to file a authorized criticism for racist and discriminatory remarks,” the French soccer federation mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday.
The derogatory chants single out France gamers of African heritage, from a number of nations, and holding a French passport.
“The president of the French Soccer Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns within the strongest phrases the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made in opposition to the gamers of the France group as a part of a music sung by gamers and supporters of the Argentina group,” the FFF added.
Diallo is a member of the chief committee of European soccer physique UEFA with a rising fame within the recreation’s politics.
FIFA couldn’t instantly verify Tuesday if the French criticism had been filed.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has mentioned soccer and its 211 nationwide federations should have a zero tolerance strategy to racism and in Could dedicated to relaunching a job pressure to watch incidents.