GOALThe newly appointed coach is faced with the aftermath of the midfielder’s detrimental actions, as he has become an outcast due to his participation in a discriminatory chant alongside his fellow Argentina team members.
What should have been remembered as a moment of celebration for Argentina has developed into an uproar that threatens to tarnish their Copa America triumph and cast a shadow over Chelsea's pre-season preparations. Enzo Fernandez is at the heart of the storm, having live-streamed himself and his international team-mates gleefully belting out a racist and transphobic chant at France's expense on board the team bus in the wake of the victory over Colombia.
Fernandez has inevitably apologised for his role in the appalling incident, but the backlash suggests this will not be a case of forgive and forget. Chelsea have a proud history of Black French players who are of African descent, including club legends Marcel Desailly and N'Golo Kante, while the current squad has several members from a similar background.
The team-mates did not react positively to Fernandez’s participation, leaving newly-appointed head coach Enzo Maresca with a significant predicament even before the start of the season.
