Following an incident over claimed racist chanting by Argentine football players, Argentina’s vice president labeled France “colonialist” and its citizens “hypocrites”; as a result, Buenos Aires issued an apology to France.
Following an altercation over purported racist chanting by Argentine football players, Argentina’s vice president labeled France “colonialist” and its citizens “hypocrites”; as a result, Buenos Aires issued an apology to France. Victoria Villarruel made her irate social media comment in her own role, according to President Javier Milei’s administration, which claimed on Friday that it had dispatched a senior official to the French embassy to clarify. Following their Copa America victory, FIFA declared that an inquiry will be conducted into the chants spoken by Argentina players, notably 23-year-old midfielder Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea.
Following Sunday’s Copa triumph against Colombia in Miami, Fernandez captured the chanting on live video and shared it on social media from the team bus.
The song contains derogatory remarks about people of color and homosexuality, and it specifically criticizes Kylian Mbappe of France.
Despite Fernandez’s apology, Chelsea has placed him under internal disciplinary action. FIFA has received complaints from the French Football Federation (FFF).
“No colonialist country is going to intimidate us because of a stadium chant or for speaking truths that they do not want to admit,” Villarruel said on Wednesday in defense of Fernandez on X. “Enough of your fake indignation, hypocrites.”
Days before Milei was scheduled to go to Paris to attend the Olympic opening ceremony, there was a diplomatic problem.
As of Friday, “diplomatic relations with France are intact,” according to presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni.
Julio Garro, Argentina’s undersecretary for sports, was fired this week for his remarks that the Argentine Football Association and captain Lionel Messi need to issue an apology for the taunts.
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