A post on X with this image purportedly showing a screenshot from Enzo Fernandez’s Instagram story on July 17, 2024 was published online following the widespread circulation of a video featuring Enzo singing along to racist chants.
The text on the image under the flags of Argentina and France is ‘Dejemos los problemas atras, Tregua’, which translates to “Let’s leave the problems behind, Truce”.
The ‘truce’ being referenced here is between the two countries, which had met in the final of the 2022 World Cup. In the image, the Argentine flag has a white person’s hand underneath it, while the French flag has what appears to be a monkey’s hand underneath, in what appears to be a racist jab at the French team.
Screengrab of the Instagram story attributed to Fernandez
Background
On December 18, 2022, defending champions France aimed to secure their second consecutive World Cup title in an unforgettable final against football giants Argentina. Despite a fiery comeback led by Kylian Mbappe, France fell short as Argentina triumphed in the penalty shootout to win the World Cup. However, the victory was marred by Argentine racist chants targeting the African heritage of the French players.
The Argentines added another title on July 15, 2024, when Lautaro Martínez’s goal in the 112th minute secured their 1-0 Copa America victory against Columbia. Yet, their celebrations were tainted once again by racist remarks. This time, there was evidence of the incident as Enzo Fernandez, currently the most expensive transfer in Premier League history, went live while they chanted in Spanish. The chants translated: ‘Listen, spread the word, they play in France, but they are all from Angola. They are going to run well, they like to sleep with trans people, their mum is Nigerian, their dad is Cameroonian, but on the passport it says: French.’
After Enzo’s actions, his teammate at Chelsea and French defender Wesley Fofana publicly criticized this behavior and Barcelona’s Jules Kounde labeled the actions lamentable. In response to this incident of discrimination, the French Football Federation issued a statement condemning the discriminatory comments and announced their intention to take legal action against the Argentine Football Federation for ‘racial and discriminatory remarks.’ Chelsea Football Club has also released a statement condemning discriminatory behavior.
Verification
After facing criticism, Enzo has issued a statement apologizing for his actions, acknowledging the offensiveness of the chant and accepting full responsibility. He emphasizes his stance against all forms of discrimination, attributing his behavior to the emotional intensity of the celebrations. He concludes his statement with an apology. This message was shared on his official account on X and Instagram story on July 17, 2024, where the only other content shows celebrations following their victory. It’s important to note that the image featuring a monkey hand and the phrase ‘dejemos los problemas atrás, tregua’ (let’s leave the problems behind, truce) are not part of his statement. While the video of him chanting racist remarks is genuine, such fabricated posts are likely intended to escalate the situation unnecessarily.
Verdict
Claims that the screenshot posted on X was from Enzo Fernandez’s Instagram story are FALSE.
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