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Rodrigo De Paul airs his thoughts on Chelsea's civil war.
Rodrigo De Paul, the Atletico Madrid midfielder and teammate of Enzo Fernandez in Argentina's national team, has spoken out in defence of Fernandez following controversy over a video posted on social media.
The incident, which involved Argentina players singing a racist song about French footballers, led to backlash and investigations by both Chelsea and FIFA.
In a recent interview with Migue Granados on OLGA, a Spanish podcast YouTube channel, De Paul expressed his support for Fernandez and criticized the response of Chelsea players who unfollowed Fernandez on Instagram.
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The song, originally sung by Argentina supporters during the 2022 World Cup, contains racist and transphobic lyrics targeting French players.
De Paul acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue but suggested that the reaction from Chelsea players, including Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, and Axel Disasi, was disproportionate.
He argued that rather than publicly unfollowing Fernandez, a private conversation would have been more appropriate to address any offense caused.
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"What happens with this song thing is that one doesn’t analyse the song from the pitch, one sees it more in relation as a joke," De Paul explained. "I think there are places… I think that if a person, or some of Enzo’s teammates as it happened, feels offended, the way to do it is to call him, not expose him on social media."
De Paul further emphasized that the song was sung in a light-hearted manner among teammates, but he understood how it could be perceived differently by those who have experienced racism.
He characterized the unfollowing of Fernandez on social media as unnecessary and suggested that a direct approach to discuss the matter would have been more respectful.
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"It’s very strange, it’s like kicking a fallen tree. You call him and say, ‘dude, what happened?’," De Paul remarked. "If you have a relationship… these are people you’re with in the dressing room all the time, unfollowing him seems pointless to me."
The Argentine midfielder defended Fernandez's actions, attributing the incident to a misunderstanding of the context in which the song was sung.
He advocated for a more nuanced approach to addressing such issues, highlighting the importance of dialogue and understanding among teammates.
De Paul's comments come amidst ongoing investigations by both Chelsea and FIFA into the incident, reflecting broader concerns over racism and discrimination in football.
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Discussions will continue and the response from players and football authorities will be closely watched to ensure appropriate action is taken to address the issue sensitively and effectively.
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