The legendary captain of France Hugo Lloris, has strongly condemned the racist chants chanted by some Argentina players during the celebration of the victory in the Copa America 2024.
The French legend recognized the merit of the Argentina national team for its performance on the field in recent years, but also stressed that success comes with the responsibility of being a positive example for society .
Because of this incident, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez found himself in hot water after a video emerged on social media. The footage shows Fernandez and his Argentina teammates singing a chant directed at the French national team. The chant has sparked outrage, with widespread condemnation for its racist and discriminatory content.
Hugo Lloris talks about the chant of the Argentine players
Speaking to the BBC, Lloris called the chants “racially offensive and discriminatory” , and considered them a “direct attack on the French people, especially on French people who have African origins and families” .
The French goalkeeper pointed out that while “it doesn’t matter if you’re in a moment of euphoria because you’ve won an important trophy” , victory demands “even more responsibility when you’re a winner” . Lloris said that “we are all against discrimination and racism,” and expressed his hope that Argentine players “learn from this mistake.”
Lloris recognizes Argentina’s talent
“They deserve a lot of recognition for what they’ve done on the pitch over the last four or five years, but that also becomes a responsibility as they are the face of football right now in South America and the world,” Lloris concluded.
Lloris’ statements join those of other soccer figures who have condemned the racist chants of the Argentine fans. FIFA has opened an investigation into the incident and could impose sanctions on the Argentine Football Association.