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    Racist Songs: French Football Federation Files Legal Complaint Against Argentina National Players

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    The French Football Federation (FFF) has announced it is filing a legal complaint in response to “racist and discriminatory remarks” made by Argentina players in post-match chants about the French team following the Copa América final.

    The derogatory chants specifically targeted French players of African heritage, who hail from several countries but hold French passports.

    Argentina secured a 1-0 victory over Colombia on Sunday. In the aftermath, a video posted on Instagram by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández, which was widely viewed on X, captured Argentina players singing about French players with African heritage.

    Fernández has since apologized for participating in the song.

    This incident echoes a similar situation from two years ago when Argentina fans chanted the same song before the World Cup final, a match that Argentina won against France.

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    The FFF says it views the racist chants as contrary to the values of sport and human rights.

    A statement issued by the FFF President Philippe Diallo on Tuesday said, “Given the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which are contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the FFF president has decided to contact its Argentinian counterpart and FIFA directly to file a legal complaint for racist and discriminatory remarks.”

    Diallo, who is also a member of the executive committee of the European soccer body UEFA, strongly condemned the remarks.

    “The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team,” the FFF added.

    In response to this incident, the FFF has reaffirmed its commitment to combating racism in soccer and has introduced a new task force dedicated to this cause.

    The Argentina national football team players were recorded singing racist chants about French footballers during their Copa America post-match celebrations.

    The controversy erupted following Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night, July 14, securing their Copa America title.

    In a video that has since gone viral, Argentine fans and players can be heard singing offensive chants that mock the African origins of black players within the French squad, including their captain, Kylian Mbappé.

    The chants included vulgar and racist lyrics, such as “They play for France but come from Angola. Their mother is Nigerian, their father is Cambodian but on their passport: France.”

    Additionally, the chants contained derogatory references to transgender individuals, specifically targeting Mbappé with comments about his rumoured relationship with transgender model Ines Rau.

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    Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez exacerbated the situation by posting a video of himself and his teammates singing the racist chants on the team bus after their victory.

    The backlash on social media was immediate and intense, with many fans and public figures condemning the Argentine team for their behaviour.

    Chelsea players Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto, and Wesley Fofana responded by unfollowing Fernandez on Instagram, distancing themselves from the offensive remarks.

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