According to British media outlet The Sun
Chelsea
's preseason preparation program completely collapsed due to the
Enzo
-Fernandez posted a racist video that sparked a serious rift in the locker room.
Enzo posted an apology on social media, "I sincerely apologize for a video posted on my channel during the national team celebrations. The song contained extremely offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these remarks. I am against all forms of discrimination and apologize for the exuberance during our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not represent my beliefs or my personality. I sincerely apologize."
However, an insider told The Sun, "It's not enough." Chelsea's French defender Wesley Fofana described the video clip as "unbridled racism". Chelsea have a number of French players in their squad, including Badiachile, Di Sassi, Gusto, Marlon Sarr, Nkunku and Ugochukwu. In addition, there are three non-French players who are equally upset by the incident.
Chelsea and FIFA have now launched an investigation into the controversial post. Chelsea striker Nicholas Jackson attempted to play peacemaker by posting a picture of Enzo greeting a young black Chelsea fan on the pitch next to himself holding up his teammate's shirt. The post was made before training but has since been deleted. A source close to Jackson said, "Jackson had no intention of creating controversy or being disrespectful. It was a goodwill gesture out of support for his teammates, and it was well intentioned."
Chelsea will fly to the United States for a pre-season friendly on Monday local time. Insiders at Stamford Bridge say the incident has destroyed harmony within the team and repairing the damage will take a lot of effort. An insider revealed, "Everyone is talking about 'what was he thinking?'"
