Amid the situation surrounding his teammate Enzo Fernandez, David Datro Fofana has become the second Chelsea player to speak out against racism in sport.
The Argentina international apologized for a “offensive” video that was uploaded to his Instagram account, and Chelsea and FIFA are now looking into the matter.
Following Argentina’s Copa America triumph against Colombia, the French Football Federation stated on Tuesday that it will submit a judicial protest, claiming that players had made “racially offensive and discriminatory remarks.”
The accusation stems from video that Chelsea player Fernandez shared online, purporting to show him and his teammates cheering for the France national team during their 1-0 victory in Sunday’s championship game.
Tuesday night, Fernandez wrote the following on his Instagram account: “I want to sincerely apologize for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations.”
‘The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words.
‘I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry.”
Fernandez’s French club-mate Wesley Fofana posted the video on his own social media accompanied by the message: ‘Football in 2024: Uninhibited racism.’
The former Leicester City centre-half now appears to have received support from his namesake and club colleague, who wrote on Wednesday: ‘The football that I like is multi-ethnic.
‘Racism in all its forms should be condemned in the strongest possible terms,’ These acts have no place in football or even anywhere else.
‘This fight really needs to be taken seriously by everyone involved in this sport.’
🚨 David Datro Fofana on IG pic.twitter.com/H0XFllhs1l
— Pys (@CFCPys) July 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Chelsea declared disciplinary action in a statement that was released on Wednesday morning and welcomed Fernandez’s apology. FIFA, the global body that regulates football, announced that it was also looking into the matter.
‘Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable,’ the statement read. ‘We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.
‘We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure.’
A FIFA spokesperson said: ‘FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into. FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials.’