July 17th 2024.
Darren Bent has come forward to share his experience of receiving racist abuse after he previously criticized Enzo Fernandez's performances. The Chelsea star recently faced controversy for filming his Argentine teammates singing a racist song. After their victory in the Copa America final, Fernandez was broadcasting a live video on Instagram from the team bus.
In the video, Argentina's players can be heard singing the first two lines of a racist and transphobic song that has been sung by their supporters during the 2022 World Cup. The song makes derogatory references to France's players and a reported relationship between Kylian Mbappe and transgender model Ines Rau. After someone is heard saying "cut the video," Fernandez issued an apology and Chelsea has started an internal disciplinary procedure.
Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent, who had previously spoken out about Fernandez's performances, shared evidence of the racist abuse he received on social media. He posted two videos showing numerous racist comments left under his Instagram posts. Bent wrote, "The last time I spoke about Enzo Fernandez and his performances for Chelsea, this is the reaction I got, and this isn't even half of it." Along with his post, he also shared a video of Argentina's players singing the racist song.
Fellow Chelsea player Wesley Fofana, who is of French and Malian descent, openly criticized his teammates' actions by reposting the video with the caption, "Football in 2024: uninhibited racism." It is worth noting that Fernandez plays alongside several black French teammates at Chelsea, including Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto, Christopher Nkunku, and Lesley Ugochukwu.
In a statement, Fernandez apologized unreservedly for his actions, stating that he got "caught up in the euphoria" of their Copa America win. He expressed his regret for posting the video and using offensive language, saying that there is no excuse for it. He also made it clear that the video and his words do not reflect his beliefs or character, and he stands against discrimination in all forms.
Chelsea has yet to release an official statement on the matter, but this incident has sparked a conversation about racism in football and the need for stricter consequences for discriminatory behavior. It is important for players to use their platform to promote equality and respect, and incidents like this only highlight the work that still needs to be done.
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