What Alexis Mac Allister has now said after Enzo Fernandez’s racist chant backlash

With Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez reprimanded for broadcasting a racist chant, Argentina team-mate Alexis Mac Allister has now spoken.

Fernandez sparked furore earlier in the week when the midfielder filmed himself and members of the Argentina squad singing a racist song about French Footballers after their Copa America triumph.

Broadcast via Instagram Live, the 23-year-old could be seen smiling as he sang about the African heritage of France, with racist and even transphobic lyrics.

Chelsea were forced to release a statement condemning their player, with team-mate Wesley Fofana – himself French but with an Ivorian father – among those to publicly criticise Fernandez’s actions.

Speaking to Urbana Play FM, Mac Allister has now given his stance on the subject, providing a wider perspective of views in his home country.

?? Alexis Mac Allister: "En Europa es mucho más sensible que acá. No somos un país racista. Sí es un tópico muy importante. Enzo ya pidió las disculpas y explicó lo que pasó (…) Lo conocemos a Enzo, sabemos que nunca lo haría con mala intención". pic.twitter.com/xFQhWFYt3i

— Todo Pasa (@todopasa1043) July 18, 2024

“You have to take care with what you say, with what you do, especially in Europe where they are much more sensitive than here,” the Liverpool midfielder said.

“The reality is that we are not a racist country; we are not used to talking about racism so much.

“Yes, it’s a very important topic, obviously. Enzo has already apologised and explained what happened. I don’t think there’s much more to say.

“We know Enzo, we know he would never do it with bad intentions.

“It’s just a chant that stuck and is more of a mocking tone than anything else. But, as I said, you have to be very careful.

So Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez has apologised for his part in singing a song – with his Argentina team-mates – so racist his Black club-mates have unfollowed and condemned him publicly.
The trouble with his apology is that it’s hard to be against discrimination in all forms when… pic.twitter.com/mSId1GS9y6

— Darren Lewis (@MirrorDarren) July 17, 2024

“I think the most important thing is that Enzo came out, gave the relevant apologies, and that, in the end, must be valued.”

Fernandez issued an apology via his social media channels on Wednesday, though it has been noted that Fofana and a number of other Chelsea players have already unfollowed him.

With regards to Mac Allister, it seems he has taken a more political stance than defending his team-mate per se – but his comments can certainly be seen as problematic.