Enzo Fernández knows he made a huge mistake. He has tried to make amends by publicly apologizing to everyone, especially his Chelsea teammates, for a video made in poor taste, in which the former River Plate star recorded himself and several Argentine teammates singing a homophobic and racist song about French players.
According to a leak from The Athletic, none of the six French players at Chelsea—Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, and Chimuanya Ugochukwu—are willing to accept Enzo Fernández’s apologies.
Additionally, Belgian player Romeo Lavia, who has African ancestry, shares the same stance. Despite Fernández’s apology and Chelsea’s ongoing internal investigation, there is no indication that these players have accepted the 23-year-old midfielder’s expressions of remorse. This unresolved issue will pose a significant challenge for Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s new head coach, who is already tasked with revitalizing the team.
Chelsea transfer listed players
The Athletic reports that the French players, along with Lavia, have unfollowed Fernández on social media following the incident. Wesley Fofana has publicly condemned the video as an example of “uninhibited racism.” This ongoing tension could complicate Fernández’s integration into the Chelsea squad when he joins the team in the United States on July 29. Maresca will face the difficult task of mending a fractured locker room.
Despite these challenges, Chelsea has decided to keep Fernández in their squad. The club considers him crucial to their team and has not included him on the list of players to be transferred. Enzo Maresca has prepared a list of players set to leave the club, which does not feature Fernández or any of the six players opposed to him.
Thus, Fernández and the dissenting players will need to coexist at Chelsea until the situation stabilizes. The list of players slated to leave Chelsea includes Romelu Lukaku, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher, Djordje Petrovic, David Datro Fofana, Cesare Casadei, Alfie Gilchrist, Andrey Santos, Harvey Vale, Leo Castledine, Bashir Humphreys, and Alex Matos.