Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has apologized to his club teammates after joining the training session on Monday. Following Argentina’s Copa America win over Colombia, a video of Enzo and his compatriots allegedly singing racist song went viral. French defender Wesley Fofana hit out at the incident and shared his feelings on social media. France football association is furious and demand strict action to be taken against Enzo. The situation at Chelsea has become complicated because they have 7 players from mixed race. According to BBC Sport, an investigation is ongoing regarding this issue by FIFA.
The 23 year old midfielder joined the London outfit last summer for a record transfer fee of ยฃ107m. He has joined the squad on Monday and apologized to everyone immediately. Enzo is donating a huge sum of money to the Anti-Discrimination charity to redeem himself. Reports from the camp suggests his apology was accepted by his team-mates and things are back to normal. Chelsea captain Reece James and defender Alex Disasi played a key role in sorting out the conflict. The club has decided not to punish the Argentinian and have closed the case. Fernandez will likely feature against Club America on Thursday.
Fernandez incident added salt to Chelsea’s wounds
Last season under Pochettino, Chelsea didn’t look like a team. Absence of chemistry between the players was clearly visible. The players often looked clueless with or without possession. If Cole Palmer was not there along with Thiago Silva leading them, things could’ve been worse. New manager Enzo Maresca faces yet another challenge within the dressing room. The Enzo Fernandez incident has added salt to their wounds.
The tension within the dressing room can cause trouble to Chelsea this season. According to reports, the players have accepted Enzo’s apology but the situation is still vulnerable. Captain Reece James admits that if the dispute persists, things will turn ugly for them in the future. Defender Levi Colwill urged his team-mates to stick together in such challenging times. He says;
“We’re a team, we move forwards together. Everything that has happened stays between us. We’re really excited to get to work and hopefully have a really positive season.”
Football is a team game, if there is no unity success is impossible. All the successful teams from the past have had great chemistry and bonding among the players. Maresca understands that and had conversations with his players regarding the issue. The manager claims that the situation is normal and things will improve in a press conference. He says;
“Everything was like before, the players were all together, all speaking, all laughing. There is no mystery, we’ve clarified the situation and there is nothing more to add. We all make mistakes. Enzo has apologized and his team-mates have accepted it.”
The Blues on the prowl for a new striker
Enzo Maresca has demanded the Chelsea board to provide him a new striker. Last season the Blues were very poor in front of goal which left fans disappointed. The new manager feels that the current strikers need someone experienced to partner them and help improve their game. Albanian striker Armando Broja’s departure is imminent prompting them to hunt for a new striker.
Senegalese striker Nikolas Jackson is very talented but prone to making errors. An experienced striker if linked up with him can cause serious trouble for the opponents. Chelsea are looking to secure a swap deal with Napoli for Victor Osimhen and Lukaku. Napoli boss Antonio Conte wants to sign Lukaku but the board do not want to let go of their star striker so easily. Jackson would love the prospect of him linking up with his compatriot.
Chelsea had also proposed a swap deal with Atletico Madrid for Samu Omorodion for Jackson. Negotiations with the Spanish club broke down quite soon. As of now, the West London club is eyeing Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres. Reports suggest that Lukaku’s departure is now only a matter of time as they are prepared to accept any bid for the Belgian. An experienced striker is a top priority for them as the club seeks to match the level of Manchester City and Arsenal in the league.
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