Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez may reportedly face the prospect of a lengthy ban if the Football Association investigates a video that featured racist chanting.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is allegedly facing the possibility of being handed a lengthy ban.
In the aftermath of Argentina beating Colombia to win the Copa America, Fernandez posted a video of himself and several of his teammates signing a song that is racist to French people.
The situation has since been fast-moving, with the video being widely condemned by the French Football Federation and Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana, among others.
Fernandez has since made a public apology and allegedly spoken directly to Chelsea’s French contingent, while the Blues themselves have launched an ‘internal disciplinary procedure’.
From Chelsea’s perspective, they will hope to be able to deal with the incident in their own way, but a complaint has already been made to FIFA.
Fernandez facing lengthy suspension?
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Nevertheless, the Premier League outfit are seemingly at risk of their second most-expensive player in their history spending a prolonged period on the sidelines.
According to Udo Onwere, a sports lawyer for ‘Bray & Krais’ who was speaking to the i, a scenario could play how where the Football Association opt to punish the 23-year-old with a long-term ban.
He said: “I guess the FA may look and see how this has been handled by Chelsea before they decide what sort of stance that they will take.
“If this had been a tweet, the FA definitely would have got involved and he would have been banned for six/seven games minimum.
“Then they look at all the aggravating factors, such as whether the language discrimination, language was repeatedly used, the public nature of the offence, or the profile of the participant, which is going to be a higher profile.”
As per the report, there is a suggestion that a 12-match ban is a possibility, which would have ramification for the player and Chelsea.
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How long would that keep Fernandez out for?
Chelsea’s 12th Premier League fixture of the season is due to take place on November 23, which would make any potential suspension around three months in length.
There is three international breaks in between, although it is unclear whether Argentina fixtures would be taken into account.
For the time being, though, there has been no indication that the FA will get involved, with FIFA’s eventual response when it comes perhaps representing a key moment.
Fernandez is now enjoying a break after his recent efforts in the United States before returning to Chelsea around the start of August.