Argentina’s President Javier Milei has been forced to distance himself from his contrversial Vice President in the latest crisis affecting his right wing Government.
It comes after Enzo Fernandez, the Chelsea star, triggered outrage last week by posting a video of his teammates singing a “racist” and homophobic chant as they celebrated winning the Copa America – the Western hemisphere’s equivalent of the Euros.
The lyrics targeted France – whom Argentina beat in the 2022 World Cup – ridiculing some of the players as coming from “Angola”. The action was widely condemned by the UK and France. Stamford Bridge said it would discipline Fernandez, who has since apologised for the video.
Javier Milei initially defended the right of Argentinian players to “say, think and do” what they want, regardless of pressure from foreign governments, but was careful not to condone the chant itself.
The video left Fernandez’s teammate, Wesley Fofana, furious as the French defender described the song as “uninhibited racism.”
On Tuesday, Fernandez took to social media to apologise, saying: “I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations,” Fernandez wrote.
“The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry.”
Argentina’s vice president, Victoria Villarruel, however, offered full support for the offensive song, posting online: “No colonialist country is going to threaten us for a football song nor for saying the truths they don’t want to admit. Stop simulating indignation, hypocrites. Enzo, I support you. Messi, thank you for everything. Argentina, always hold your head high!”
Often described as “ultra-conservative”, Villarruel has a long history of triggering outrage in Argentina.
She defended the 1987 military uprising against the recently restored democratic government, which her father, a lieutenant colonel and Falklands War veteran, participated in.
She has also been known to downplay and justify the serious human rights abuses of the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina in the 1970s and 1980s, which resulted in the killing and disappearance of thousands of its “opponents”.
Over the weekend, Manuel Adorni, Milei’s spokesman, described Villarruel’s comment as “unfortunate”, while the president said it was “not a happy one”.
Mr Milei also sent his closest confidante, his sister Karina, to meet France’s ambassador to Argentina to make amends.
Fofana’s post had been viewed 55 million times as of July 17. It also emerged that some of Fernandez’s French team-mates at the club – such as Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto – had unfollowed the £107million midfielder on Instagram. Reports in France suggest his Chelsea team-mates are ‘very angry’ with the Argentinian’s behaviour.
A Chelsea FC spokesperson said: “Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome. We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The Club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure.”
