Sunday, November 3, 2024

French FA to complain over alleged ‘racist’ Argentina song

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The French Football Federation is to file a complaint to world governing body Fifa over an alleged “racist and discriminatory” song sung by some of the Argentina squad about France’s players.

The FFF will also contact the Argentine Football Association (AFA) about the chants heard in a live video posted on social media by Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez as Argentina celebrated winning the Copa America, having beaten Colombia 1-0 in the final on Sunday.

A statement from the FFF, external said that president Philippe Diallo “condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable and discriminatory remarks that were made against the players of the French team”.

It added: “Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly appeal to his Argentine counterpart and Fifa and to file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory remarks.”

On Tuesday, Fernandez’s Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana, who has one cap for France, posted an image of the video on Instagram describing it as “uninhibited racism”.

BBC Sport has approached the Argentine FA and Chelsea for comment.

France beat Argentina in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup, before Argentina beat them in the final of the 2022 World Cup.

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