Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, has come to the defense of midfielder Enzo Fernandez following his involvement in posting a clip of his teammates singing offensive chants about French players.
The incident occurred during Fernandez’s celebration of Argentina’s Copa América victory, where the song contained racist and homophobic remarks about the heritage of some French players.
Enzo Fernandez, currently on holiday, has issued a public apology for his actions, acknowledging the inappropriate nature of the chant.
Chelsea has responded by initiating an internal disciplinary procedure, emphasizing their commitment to using this incident as an educational opportunity.
In a statement, the club said, “We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate.”
In an interview with ESPN in the US, Maresca downplayed the severity of the incident, suggesting that it did not harm team spirit at Stamford Bridge.
He stated, “I don’t think there are any bad intentions behind [it], so starting from that point, for me it is quite easy.
The player already did a statement apologising. The club did the same so there are not many things to add, but the only thing I can say from my point of view is that they are all young with good intentions.
Good guy, good person, good human being. There was not any bad intention.”
Chelsea fans and the wider football community will be watching closely to see how the club handles the situation and the measures they implement to prevent such incidents in the future.
