Recently, Enzo Fernandez was widely criticized for his live broadcast after winning the Copa America that involved singing a discriminatory song. In the face of this controversy, Enzo's father, Raoul Fernandez, stood up firmly in defense of his son in an interview with Argentine Sport, emphasizing that Enzo is not a racist and calling for an understanding of Argentina's soccer culture.
Raúl Fernández began by expressing his trust and knowledge of his son, "I know what kind of person my son is, and he's not that kind of person." He explained that Enzo's behavior on air was motivated by an inappropriate moment and that he did not realize the sensitivity of what he was singing. "Europeans have a hard time understanding our soccer culture," Raoul Fernandez said, pointing out that this cultural difference could be at the root of the misunderstanding.
To prove his point, Raoul Fernandez also cited past examples, "When Germany beat us in 2014, they mimicked the Gaucho's walk and called us ignorant; after the 2018 World Cup, France even made fun of Lionel Messi's height. However, we never came out and said we were being discriminated against." With these examples, he hopes to show that certain behaviors in soccer may be seen as jokes or ways of celebrating without necessarily having malicious or discriminatory overtones.
Raoul Fernandez expressed his heartache over the pressure and criticism Enzo is currently under: "Enzo feels bad, he didn't mean it." He revealed that Enzo has taken to social media to apologize to the public and specifically to his Chelsea teammates. However, he was puzzled that instead of contacting Enzo directly to demand an apology, Chelsea's teammates chose to express their displeasure publicly on social media. "They could have contacted him and asked for an apology, but didn't." Raoul Fernandez said.
Finally, Raoul Fernandez re-emphasized his trust and support for his son and called on the outside world to be able to give Enzo more understanding and tolerance. "I hope that people can understand our soccer culture and understand that Enzo's initial intentions were not out of malice." He said. At the same time, he also hopes that this incident can be an opportunity to promote communication and understanding between different countries and cultures.
