Wesley Fofana insists Enzo Fernandez ‘is not a racist’ after Chelsea summit

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana says team-mate Enzo Fernandez is not racist and has accepted the Argentina international’s apology.

After a video emerged of some of the Copa America winners singing an offensive song about French players’ heritage, Fofana wrote on social media it was ‘uninhibited racism’.

The centre-back has subsequently deleted his post and when Fernandez rejoined the Chelsea squad on their pre-season tour of the United States he apologised and pledged to make a donation to an anti-discrimination charity .

“We talked together. I explained why I didn’t like the video. He explained. He said sorry because he did not want to hurt French fans or anyone. He did not understand when singing it,” Fofana told reporters covering Chelsea’s preparations in America.

“And I trust him because I know him. He is not racist. It is just the video is bad. It’s not only Enzo. It’s the Argentinian team. Enzo is in the video but if he was from another country, I would have posted the same thing.

“For sure, it was a big story because we play in the same team. But now it is done, it’s good. I’m happy with this situation because he understands me, I understand him.

“I hope this has educated him a bit, because for sure, it is a different culture. We need to educate about this because cultures are different, a lot of countries.”

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Fofana is one of six French players in Chelsea’s squad but the 23-year-old insists there is no rift.

“We talked, all the team together. It was not only me and Enzo. It was everybody,” he added.

“We are in the same team and we need to go forward together. It is finished. We play together. We need to stay together. We’re strong together.

“If I’m on one side and Enzo is on the other side and we fight every day or we don’t talk or we’re not happy, on the pitch then we don’t play well. That’s not only me and Enzo. It’s all the team. It is for that, that we talked. It’s a good club.

“I don’t care about the money,’ he added. ‘He loses money. I don’t want Enzo to lose money. The donation is good but the most important thing is not to repeat the act and that we educate everybody. He is an example because Enzo is a big player, a big star. He understands that and I’m happy like this.”

Chelsea stated prior to Fofana’s statement that Fernandez would not be punished by the club for his actions as they bid to draw a line under the events of the summer.

However, the midfielder could still face punishment for his actions elsewhere as FIFA confirmed earlier in July that they had launched an investigation into the video shared by Fernandez, after which he could face either a fine or a potential suspension.