Rather unexpectedly, Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has spoken out in a voluntary interview with the media about the racism incident which saw his colleague Enzo Fernandez in hot water.
Fofana gave the strongest reaction from within the Chelsea dressing room to the song sung on the Argentina team coach, calling it “uninhibited racism.”
But his words today reveal he’s spoken to Enzo, who returned to training yesterday, and it seems that everything has been resolved, at least to some degree.
“He arrived yesterday and we talked with the manager,” Fofana said in quotes picked up by Football.London.
“We talked together. I explained why I didn’t like the video. He explained, he said sorry because he did not want to hurt French fans or anyone. He did not understand when singing it. He did not understand. And I trust him. Because I know him. I know he is not racist. The act, I felt a little bit upset. But now, it is done. It is finished.”
A problem resolved – at least for now
From a purely football perspective, this is the best outcome possible. Addressing this head on was the fastest way to put it behind us, and Fofana volunteering himself to speak to the media like this will be hugely helpful.
We hope he and the other players feel as confidently as he makes out about Enzo’s character. If so, it could be all smiles, and the sooner they all get on the pitch together the better.
The manager Enzo Maresca played down the whole incident when asked about it last week, and we’re sure he will get more questions tonight. But he now has a much stronger footing when trying to brush concerns aside. He’s got enough to worry about on the football side.
