French federation files complaint after 'racist and discriminatory remarks' by Argentina players
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00:00The Argentinian football team returned to Buenos Aires on Monday evening to a hero's
00:04welcome after winning a second success of Copa America in Miami the previous night.
00:09But what should have been a joyful occasion quickly turned to controversy when the players,
00:13while being live-streamed on midfielder Enzo Fernandez's Instagram account, sang a fan's
00:19chant dating from their World Cup win over France in 2022.
00:23The chant calls into question the nationality of black players on the French team and also
00:28contains transphobic language.
00:31It was widely condemned online, including by Fernandez's Chelsea clubmate, the French
00:36international Wesley Forfana, who described it on the social media platform X as uninhibited
00:42racism.
00:43The French Football Federation also condemned the chants, calling them unacceptable and
00:48said it would take action.
00:51Given the seriousness of this appalling language, contrary to the values of sport and human
00:56rights, the president of the French Football Federation has decided to contact his Argentinian
01:01counterpart and FIFA and to file a legal case for racial and discriminatory language.
01:08Enzo Fernandez also posted an apology on Instagram on Tuesday.
01:12I want to apologize sincerely for the video posted on my Instagram channel during the
01:17national team celebration.
01:19The song includes highly offensive language.
01:22There is absolutely no excuse for these words.
01:25Argentina's players had previously joked about the French team, albeit in more gentle
01:30fashion following their World Cup win in Qatar, filming themselves calling for a minute's
01:35silence for Kylian Mbappe.