“It’s obviously a really difficult situation” - Chelsea captain Reece James weighs in on Enzo Fernandez racist chant video

Chelsea captain Reece James has reacted to the controversy teammate and Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez finds himself in. The player has faced backlash after an alleged racist video was posted online during Argentina's Copa America celebrations.

Fernandez captured footage of himself and a couple of La Albieceleste stars chanting an alleged discriminatory and racist chant that took a dig at the French national team.

The incident escalated when a couple of French players reacted and called out Enzo Fernandez for his actions, notably Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana, who even unfollowed him on picture-sharing platform Instagram.

Blues captain James has now weighed in on the saga, as he dubbed it a 'difficult situation'. He hopes the issue remains in-house, as he has spoken to Fernandez as well as other concerned teammates. During a recent interview, James said (via SPORTbible):

"It’s obviously a really difficult situation. I think Enzo acknowledged he did wrong and quickly put his hand up and apologized to the club, the team and the people offended."

James continued:

"He [Fernandez] hasn’t arrived yet, so I don’t know if there’s anything to amend. I’ll have to make that judgment when he comes back in. But I hope everyone will be on the same page and can kind of move forward from this situation. I’ve spoken to Enzo, and everyone involved but the conversations have to stay in-house.”

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Chelsea star issues an apology after alleged racist chant video surfaced online

Fernandez immediately faced a series of online backlash from fans and even his Chelsea teammates, notably Fofana, who called him out for his actions. Meanwhile, Fernandez was quick to acknowledge his wrongdoings and immediately released an apology via his Instagram story. He said:

"I want to apologize sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words.

He continued:

"I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my character or beliefs. I am truly sorry."