Wesley Fofana has maintained that Enzo Fernandez “is not racist” despite the midfielder’s racial chants that elicited many reactions globally.
Fofana has expressed that Fernandez basically needs to be tutored on the hurtful implications of the chant.
Wesley Fofana’s assertions are coming about a fortnight after he described the chant as “uninhibited racism” on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The chats basically included the words that read: “They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says, French.”
Wesley Fofana Mends Ties With Enzo Fernandez
Speaking concerning the racial chants sung by Enzo Fernandez and his Argentine teammates, which was captured in a live video, Fofana said:
“You see Enzo is back and I’m happy, 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.”
The Frenchman added that he “trusts” the midfielder and it is not a case about Enzo being a bad person but a matter regarding the Argentine team.
He said: “And I trust him. Because I know him. I know Enzo. 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.”
The former Leicester man added that he and Enzo Fernandez understand the standpoint of each other and he hopes the incident has educated his colleague.
“But now it is done, it’s good. I’m happy with this situation because he understands me, I understand him, he said sorry, I trust him, and that is the most important thing”, he said.
“Enzo is a big player in Argentina. I hope this has educated him a bit because for sure, it is a different culture.”
Wesley Fofana has agreed to bury the hatchet and forget about the past in order to guide Chelsea to success, as bad blood will be counterproductive.
Enzo Fernandez Returns To Chelsea Training
Enzo Fernandez returned to training with Chelsea on Monday, July 29, 2024, after partaking in an off-season following his triumphant outing with Argentina at the 2024 Copa America.
Fernandez apologized physically to his teammates during the training session, having previously put out a public apology on social media.
Reports also indicate that Fernandez has told Chelsea he will be making a significant contribution to an anti-discrimination charity.
His donation will be directed towards funding anti-racism campaigns and providing anti-discrimination education.
Enzo Fernandez In Good Terms With His Teammates – Chelsea Gaffer Enzo Maresca
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca also shared in a presser on Tuesday, July 29, 2024, that Enzo Fernandez and his teammates are in good spirits.
The Italian tactician said: “We all feel very comfortable, very good. Enzo is back, he had a chat with all of us to clarify there was no bad intention. The lads, they all accept it.
“Everything was like before, the players were all together, all speaking, all laughing.
“There is no mystery, we’ve clarified the situation and there is nothing more to add. We all make mistakes. Enzo has apologized and his teammates have accepted it.”
Chelsea’s 2024 Preseason Outing
Chelsea retuned to winning ways on Thursday, August 1, 2024, defeating CF American 3-0 at the Marcedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Christopher Nkunku netted the opener for the Blues in the 3rd minute, before summer signing Marc Guiu increased their lead in the 21st minute.
Noni Madueke put the icing on the cake for the blues 11 minutes before the expiration of normal time, calmly tucking home a penalty.
The Blues were winless in preseason before their victory over CF America, having played out a 2-2 draw with Wrexham on July 25, 2024, before embarrassingly losing 4-1 to Celtic on July 27, 2024.
Chelsea still have three more preseason matches this summer, with the club scheduled to battle Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan on August 3, 7, and 11 respectively.
They begin the 2024/25 season with a home game against Manchester City on August 18, 2024.
