Ex England striker Carlton Cole called Lionel Messi “selfish” and said that his lack of response to the racism controversy in Argentina indicated he “did not care” about the matter.
Following the release of a video on social media that the French Football Federation claimed contained “racist and discriminatory” language, Enzo Fernandez is facing disciplinary action from both Chelsea and FIFA.
A song criticizing France’s black and mixed-race players was being chanted while the £107 million midfielder was recording some of his Argentina teammates celebrating their Copa America final victory over Colombia on a team bus.
After Wesley Fofana, a France international and teammate at Chelsea, called the video “uninhibited racism,” Fernandez expressed his sincere regret for it.
‘The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words,’ Fernandez said.
‘I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.
‘That video, that moments, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.’
Argentina captain Messi was not on the bus at the time of the chanting but former Premier League star Cole believes in staying silent on the issue he has acted ‘selfishly’.
‘We’ve got to look at Messi and you say, you know what, Messi come out,’ the ex-Chelsea and West Ham striker told talkSPORT. ‘We need to hear you. I need you to come out.
‘You’ve got to speak up about this. Because this is more than just Enzo. Messi is the main guy there. He’s the captain. He needs to come out and say something about this behaviour.
‘Otherwise, it’s just like he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care how I feel, he doesn’t care how some of his black teammates he’s had in the past feel.
‘That just shows me that he’s selfish. He needs to come out and say something. I condemn him. That’s it, simple. I condemn Messi.’
South American football correspondent Tim Vickery added: ‘That’s the job as a captain, isn’t it?
‘If you’re the captain, you’ve got to lead. If there was ever a need for leadership it’s right here, right now, with Argentina.
‘So the ball’s in his court, there’s been nothing so far, and that’s bad. Please, please step up Messi. The world is looking at you to do that.’
Enzo Fernandez will ‘never be forgiven’ for racist chant
While Fernandez has apologised for his part in the racism row, ex-Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes he will never be forgiven by some team-mates and must therefore be sold.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: ‘It’s going to be tricky. I look back at when I was at Chelsea in the 90s and I’m not sure that dressing room would be okay with what Enzo Fernandez did.
‘That’s a tricky one to handle. I think Chelsea have got a major decision on whether they actually keep Enzo Fernandez.
‘Having players not happy with a guy in the dressing room, I’m not sure there will be many that comfortable with some of the things that have gone on.
‘There’s no excuse for that to go out. It’s not going to sit well with the other players is it?
‘I don’t know how you can handle it because there will be players who can’t forgive. There might be some who can move on despite not liking what happened.
‘You don’t need everyone to like each other at a club but this is a really, really tricky one. Some players won’t want to move on or make it work.
‘He’s going to have to apologise to the squad face-to-face as well and maybe then there will be a bit more forgiveness.’
Liverpool star defends Enzo Fernandez
But Fernandez has received support from several Argentina team-mates, including Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister.
‘You have to be careful with what you say or do, especially in Europe where they are much more sensitive than here,’ he said.
In reality, we live in a non-racist nation and we don’t often discuss racism. Yes, without a doubt, this is a crucial subject.
‘Enzo has previously expressed regret and given an explanation of the incident. There’s probably not much else to say.
We are aware of Enzo’s character; he is not such person and is not racist. We also know that he would never act maliciously. It’s only a stuck chant with a tone that leans more toward mockery than anything else.
That being stated, you need to use extreme caution. The most crucial thing, in my opinion, is that Enzo apologized and came forward, and that should ultimately be respected.