FIFA has been questioned by anti-discrimination group Kick It Out about what, if any, steps the world football governing body has taken in response to the racism controversy involving Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez last summer.
After the 2024 Copa America final, the Argentina international recorded himself and a few of his countrymen singing a slurs that were directed at French football players of African descent and were deemed "racist and discriminatory" by France's football association in a formal complaint to FIFA.
In July, Chelsea launched a "internal disciplinary procedure" against Fernandez, who also made a public apology. The Argentine was named vice-captain by the Blues' new head coach, Enzo Maresca, once the 2024–25 Premier League season got underway.
According to a BBC story, Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor wrote to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his colleague at the South American confederation, CONMEBOL, Alejandro Dominguez, inquiring as to whether Fernandez will be subject to any repercussions.
"We and many others have not been informed if there has been any investigation or conclusion regarding his or any other players' behavior, even after contacting the FA and FIFA. For organizations that wish to take discrimination seriously, establishing the facts and coming to a conclusion shouldn't be an unusual or challenging effort," Okafor said.
"We would appreciate it if you could inform us whether an inquiry is underway and when you plan to reach a conclusion, as many members of the football community have a stake in this case.
On the team coach, a number of the players were captured on camera performing a song that was both transphobic and racist toward the French players. Although numerous players can be heard singing throughout the video, we can see that midfielder Enzo Fernandez was not the only one.
Fernandez would participate in schooling to learn from his error, according to Chelsea. But it's crucial to consider how this happened and how it was handled would have impacted a larger population in England and around the world.
The letter from Kick It Out also mentioned the penalty given to Rodrigo Bentancur, a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur. Shortly before Fernandez's video, in June, the Uruguayan international made disparaging remarks about his South Korean teammate Son Heung-min, for which he was charged by the English Football Association.
Bentancur received a seven-match suspension this season, as Okafor noted: "As you may know, Bentancur was recently disciplined by the FA for his discriminatory comments. Many supporters are afraid of the consequences and have questioned us about why the Argentina team has not been held to the same standards.
The letter continued, "It's vital we present a united front to tackle discrimination." "Otherwise, claims from federations that action is being taken fall at the first hurdle."
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