Messi asks players to apologise for racial chant

LONDON:

Lionel Messi faced calls on Wednesday to apologize for racist chants made by Argentina’s players after they won the Copa America.

An Argentinean government official said Messi, who is the team captain, and the president of the country’s soccer federation, Claudio Tapia, should apologize after a video was shared on social media showing members of Argentina’s triumphant squad singing a racist chant about French players with African heritage.

Midfielder Enzo Fernandez said he was “truly sorry” for the incident and his Premier League club Chelsea said it had begun disciplinary action, describing discriminatory behavior as “completely unacceptable.”

It is unclear from the video if Messi — widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time — participated in the chant. But Argentina’s sports sub-secretary, Julio Garro, said he should say sorry.

“The national team captain must also come out to apologize for this case. The same AFA (Argentina Football Association) president,” Garro said in radio statements. “I think it is appropriate. It leaves us as a country in a bad position, with so much glory.”

Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida. Afterwards a video posted on Instagram showed Fernandez and Argentina players chanting about France’s team as they celebrated.

The same chants — by some Argentina fans — emerged before the team beat France in the World Cup final in 2022. The derogatory chants single out France players of African heritage, from several countries, and holding a French passport.

FIFA said it was also looking into the incident after the French soccer federation pledged to file a complaint with the sport’s world governing body over “racist and discriminatory remarks.”

Chelsea’s response comes after one of Fernandez’s clubmates, France defender Wesley Fofana, posted the video on his social media accounts Tuesday and called it “uninhibited racism.”

Fofana has family ties to Ivory Coast and is among several French players who are Black in the Chelsea first-team squad.

“We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome,” Chelsea said in a statement Wednesday. “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.”

Fernandez apologized 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,” he said on Instagram. “I am truly sorry.”

Fernandez became the most expensive player in British soccer history after joining Chelsea from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million) in 2023.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said soccer and its 211 national federations must have a zero tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents.

“FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into,” the governing body said Wednesday. “FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials.”

It is unclear what jurisdiction FIFA has over the incident on a team bus after a tournament, but the governing body likely could act if the Argentina federation’s handling of the case is considered unsatisfactory.