Chelsea back down on penalizing Fernandez as he apologizes to teammates over racist chants

Enzo Fernandez has issued an apology to his Chelsea teammates after joining the squad in the USA amid a racism scandal.

The controversy began when Fernandez posted a video on Instagram, appearing to show him and his Argentina teammates engaging in a derogatory chant about the France national team during their Copa America celebrations.

Chelsea centre-back Wesley Fofana labeled the chant as “uninhibited racism.”

While FIFA’s investigation into the incident is ongoing, Chelsea have concluded it internal disciplinary process, according to Sky Sports.

Fernandez publicly apologised after the French Football Federation alleged that the video contained racist and discriminatory chants.

On Monday, Fernandez joined the Chelsea squad in Atlanta and immediately apologised to his teammates, who are understood to have accepted his apology.

The 23-year-old, who transferred to Chelsea in February 2023 for a British-record fee of £106.8 million from Benfica, has already trained with the squad in the USA.