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Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has said Argentina teammate Enzo Fernández is facing undeserved backlash for the video that shows the Chelsea midfielder singing a discriminatory chant.
Fernández apologised this week after he posted a video on Instagram following his team’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa América final that showed him and other Argentina players singing an offensive song that singled out France players of African heritage.
Chelsea and FIFA have opened an investigation into the incident after the French Football Federation (FFF) announced it would file a legal complaint over “racist and discriminatory remarks” made by Fernández and his Argentina teammates.
Mac Allister, who does not appear on the video, told Argentinian radio station Urbana play: “Enzo has already apologised, and he explained what happened. There’s nothing more to add.
“We know Enzo, we know he would never do it with bad intention. It’s more of a chant that stuck and it’s more in a mocking tone than anything else. The most important thing is that Enzo apologised and we have to give value to that.”
The same chants — by some Argentina fans — emerged before France and Argentina met in the 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won.
Fernández’s club teammates Wesley Fofana and Christopher Nkunku of France have both expressed their discontent.
Argentina international Rodrigo de Paul feels Fernández is being unfairly targeted.
“It happens that one doesn’t analyse pitch songs,” the Atletico Madrid midfielder said.
“I can understand people that have suffered racism and all of that, don’t like it. But there are ways. If Enzo’s [club] teammates felt offended, the way to do it is to call him not to put in on social media. I think there is a bit of malice or to put Enzo in a place that he absolutely shouldn’t be in.”
Argentina’s government on Thursday removed the country’s undersecretary of sport Julio Garro from his post for calling for captain Lionel Messi and the Football Federation (AFA) president Claudio Tapia to apologise for the video.
Mac Allister said his country is not racist.
“The reality is that here we are not a racist country,” he said. “We are not accustomed to talk about racism. It’s an important topic.
“You have to be careful with what one does and one says, especially in Europe because it’s more sensitive there.”