In the video of Enzo Fernández and other Argentina players singing a racist song about France after their victory in the Copa America final, what's particularly memorable is the voice that can be heard at the end.
“Corta (el) vivo,” someone says. “Stop the live stream.”
They know. They know what they are saying. They know that what they are saying is very offensive, and they know what will happen if the outside world hears it.
This is not something that can be expressed in vague terms. It is not something that can be denied. The lyrics are clear and we know the lyrics because this song has been around for a few years.
The chant's lyrics read: “They play for France but their parents are from Angola, their mothers are from Cameroon and their fathers are from Nigeria, but their passports say French.”
The song in question was written by a group of Argentina fans ahead of the 2022 World Cup final and was criticised at the time by anti-racism demonstrators in France as an “expression of far-right ideology”.
Going deeper
French Football Federation files complaint over 'unacceptable racist' chants by Argentina players
Frankly, it's bad enough that Argentina, supposedly protected from a PR perspective by their World Cup victory, didn't try to distance themselves further from the song, but the fact that the players appear to have incorporated the song into their celebrations is even worse. At the very least, the fact that the players would choose to make this song part of their celebrations in the moment of victory speaks to an unpleasant group mentality and pervasive culture.
And while I don't mean to downplay the blatant racism, it's worth pointing out that there's transphobia at work here, too: The entire song's lyrics refer to the French player being a “cometravée like Mbappé,” with “cometravée” being slang that basically translates to “someone who has sex with transgender people.”
While football in general has made positive efforts to make the sport more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people, players who choose not to actively participate in anti-homophobia campaigns are thankfully in the minority, and those who do are often punished, such as Monaco midfielder Mohamed Kamara, who was suspended for four games last season for covering up an anti-homophobic message on his shirt.
However, songs like this one do not help, but rather hurt, efforts to make football a more inclusive place.
But if the song itself, and the glee with which the performers involved sang it, weren't depressing enough, what happened afterwards was almost as bad.
Fernández himself issued an apology of sorts, claiming that he “got caught up in the frenzy of the Copa America celebrations” and that the song “does not reflect my personality or beliefs.” He also rather laughably stated that “I am against all forms of discrimination.” Let's just say that his words will ring hollow when he is forced to take part in any anti-racism campaigns in the coming weeks and months.
Chelsea themselves responded fairly responsibly, issuing a statement outlining their position and values, saying they would use this as a “teaching opportunity” and had begun internal disciplinary procedures.
It will be interesting to see how that process plays out, given that if Fernandes is a fan and is caught singing the song in the stands at Stamford Bridge, it would likely end ugly with a lengthy stadium ban.
But other than that it was very quiet.
Chelsea's French defender Wesley Fofana called it “unbridled racism,” and the club's Ivorian striker, David Datolo Fofana, posted a statement on Instagram saying “racism in all its forms must be condemned in the strongest possible terms” and that “the fight against racism needs to be taken seriously by everyone involved in sport.”
David Datolo Fofana also condemned the incident (Craig Mercer/MBMedia/Getty Images)
It's the last part that feels most pertinent, because aside from these two responses and a photo posted by Nicholas Jackson of Fernandez embracing a black child (the meaning of which is open to interpretation), there hasn't been much else.
So far, only black players have publicly acknowledged the incident; no white players have condemned the song. Some of Fofana's white teammates may have offered private support, but nothing more.
Sadly, as is often the case, it is black players who end up shouldering the emotional burden of having to deal with racist incidents. It reinforces the idea that racism is only a black problem, when it is a stain on us all. It isolates black players and suggests that no one else has to worry.
Imagine the power that could be generated if a white performer, without any prompting, stood up and denounced this song. It would be a valuable symbol, but it would have real significance, not just a cosmetic one.
The clubs of the other players featured in the video have chosen not to comment at the time of writing, and in fairness it's a little difficult to pinpoint exactly who is singing in the video, but everyone seems to be doing their best to ignore the issue entirely.
Perhaps we could give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they will speak to the Argentina players in due course and remind them of their responsibilities as human beings, not just as footballers or club representatives, but for now it seems like they just want this to go away.
Even if it may be difficult to identify the individual singers, anyone who sat silently while such racist songs were sung should at least be warned. The minimum that can be expected is for the club to acknowledge the incident, investigate and, if it is found that one of its players was involved, to take appropriate disciplinary action.
So far, only Chelsea have said anything but we shouldn't necessarily give them any extra credit for that – after all, they couldn't have avoided it.
But elsewhere, nothing much is happening. Despite the splashy campaigns, the goodwill efforts and the solemnly filmed “No to Racism” UEFA video, it is very hard to take seriously the idea that football is serious about fighting racism when the majority of the game is silent at moments like these.
(Header photo: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
