Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson shared a cryptic post on his Instagram amidst the seething row over racist chants by his teammate, Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo Fernandez stoked controversies when footage of him, joining other Argentina teammates to hurl racial slurs at French footballers and their national team, went viral.
The midfield sensation aimed unguarded racist sarcasms on Les Bleus, mocking the team for being made of only players from African origins.
The footage sparked widespread backlash with French Football Federation deciding to charge Argentina FA to court for the abuse. French and black players blasted Enzo Fernandez for the footage.
Chelsea star and Enzo Fernandez teammate, Wesley Fofana, tagged the footage on his social media handle and wrote, “Football in 2024: uninhibited racism.”
Barcelona and France defender, Jules Kounde also expressed his disapproval of the footage.
Sources close to the Chelsea dressing room revealed other black players such as Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto have joined Fofana to register their displeasure over Enzo Fernandez’s role in the footage.
However, it appears Senegal international and 2023 summer signing from Villarreal, Nicolas Jackson, is not sharing the same sentiment as his other black Chelsea teammates.
Jackson appears to take side with Enzo Fernandez while preaching love and unity in the sport. Taking to his Instagram, Nicolas Jackson conveyed his thoughts on the matter with a graphic post of the embattled midfielder engaging and playing with a young black Chelsea fan. With two egg-faced emojis, he wrote, “Enzo Fernandez and this young fan.”
Beneath the footage, he wrapped up his take with two coloured fist bump emojis, joining heads together. Between them, he dropped a red love emoji.
Nicolas Jackson’s post delineates the forward’s departure from barrage of criticisms on Enzo Fernandez since racist footage surfaced.
So far, he is the only black player to have taken a different stand on the saga. However, it is understood his stand won’t have a significant impact on the matter.
Following heavy backlash from different quarters, Enzo Fernandez apologized for the footage, claiming he lost himself in the euphoria of the Copa America celebrations.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, one of the top Premier League clubs with many black players, have made it clear that the club is against racism and will begin investigations into the footage for a possible disciplinary measure.
With the 2024-25 season fast approaching, some of the Blues’ players are back to pre-season training. Enzo Fernandez is expected to link up with the team soon after his Copa America campaign, but is currently facing uncertainties over his future at the club, pending the outcome of investigations into the matter.
There are projections the former Benfica midfielder and 2022 World Cup winner could be suspended or fined heavily by the club due to the footage. Other extreme measures such as contract termination has not been ruled out.
Also, fingers are crossed on what the world football’s governing body, FIFA, will come up with, following their ongoing investigations into the footage. While Chelsea’s disciplinary measure will target Enzo Fernandez, the entire Argentina national team could be sanctioned with a possible ban if found guilty after FIFA investigations.
