What was intended as a tribute to a Copa America winner on Sunday evening at the Monumental showed what could be the start of a worrying trend. While Enzo Fernandez received the applause of the River Plate fans, the racist song about the French national team rang out in the stands.
Fernandez posted a live stream of himself singing the song during Argentina’s Copa America celebrations, prompting his French teammates Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto to unfollow him, post about the incident and ultimately launch a disciplinary investigation into Chelsea. “Corran La Bola” was heard as Fernandez greeted fans in Buenos Aires on his return to his boyhood club.
RECONOCIMIENTO Y OVACIÓN PARA ENZO FERNÁNDEZ ⚪️🔴🏆
The American Volunteer Campus welcomed a River House in the Monumental #LPFxTNTSports pic.twitter.com/ryz1hTUWob
— TNT Sports Argentina (@TNTSportsAR) July 21, 2024
The incident has also reached Spanish football, with Barcelona defender Jules Kounde criticising Fernandez and defending his French teammates, while Rodrigo de Paul also defended his compatriot – the Atletico Madrid midfielder claimed it was a football song and people needed to understand the context.
While the controversy surrounding the chant sung by Enzo Fernandez and other Argentine players against French players continues, fans of River Plate (Enzo’s boyhood club) are now singing this chant in their home stadium, El Monumental, during their match against Lanus. pic.twitter.com/H1zK0PMd97
— Roberto Rojas (@RobertoRojas97) July 21, 2024
De Paul will return to Atletico in August and will then join his two French teammates Antoine Griezmann and Thomas Lemar.
