Chelsea captain Reece James admits that the racist chanting storm sparked by Enzo Fernandez “could be a problem” in the Blues’ dressing room.

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• Derogatory song from Argentina players
• Fofana among those to have condemned actions
• Internal investigation underway in west London

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Argentina international Enzo live streamed the celebrations which accompanied the reigning world champions successfully defending their Copa America crown. Within those, certain players could be seen signing a derogatory song about the number of players in the France squad that boast African heritage.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana, who is a France international of Ivorian descent, has spoken out against the “uninhibited racism” displayed by Argentina players. Enzo has since apologised for his actions, while an internal investigation has been opened at Stamford Bridge.

• WHAT JAMES SAID

  Blues skipper James has told when asked if the saga threatens to impact squad harmony: “Of course. There’s always the factor where it doesn’t sit right with people when there could be a problem. But until the day comes where everyone’s together and in a room together, I don’t know, but I hope things can be resolved smoothly and we can move forward with the season.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The England international full-back added when asked if he has held a conversation with Enzo: “I spoke to him a bit, but it was hard because we were on different time zones. Just a general chat really. His views on what happened and him trying to explain his situation and how things happened. It’s a really difficult situation. There’s no room for racism or discrimination in football. I think he quickly put his hand up and acknowledged he’d done wrong and apologised to his teammates, the club and the rest of the people that were offended. I think that was probably the best he could have done in that situation.”

Tags: Futebol
Category: News