Manchester United take stance on Argentina racism row after lack of evidence against Garnacho and Lisandro Martinez: Reports
Manchester United has distanced themselves from a viral video shared by Enzo Fernandez on Instagram that featured Argentina players chanting a racist song aimed at France players while celebrating their second consecutive Copa America win.
United players Lisandro Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho were a part of the Argentina squad for Copa America. However, Manchester Evening News reports that the club refused to take responsibility for their players due to a lack of evidence of them participating in the chants.
Alejandro Garnacho was not spotted in the video shared by Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez. Although some fans online supposedly spotted Lisandro Martinez, there was no conclusive evidence to prove that he participated in the derogatory chants. His presence also remains unverified, as per a source close to the club.
The club reportedly believed that the matter is of concern to the Argentina FA and Manchester United has nothing to do with it given there's no evidence to suggest any of their club players participated in the chants or were present in the bus.
Meanwhile, Chelsea issued an official statement after Enzo Fernandez publicly apologized for his derogatory chants on Instagram.
Manchester United's PL rivals Chelsea issue statement about Enzo Fernandez's racist chants
While Manchester United distanced themselves from the video featuring Argentine players signing a racist song aimed at the French team, Chelsea issued a formal statement for the participation of their player Enzo Fernandez in the song.
Fernandez was the one who shared the Instagram live video on his account which featured multiple Argentina players. However, the identity of all the players present has not been confirmed or verified at the time of writing.
Shortly after Fernandez issued his formal apology, Chelsea issued a formal statement condemning the Argentine's actions.
"Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behavior completely unacceptable. We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome. We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The Club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure," the statement said.
Enzo Fernandez also acknowledged his behavior on social media on July 17, mentioning that those moments in the bus do not represent what he believes in. The midfielder explained that he was carried away by the euphoria of winning the 2024 Copa America.
Manchester United is yet to release any official statement about the matter and are unlikely to do so as the video could not serve conclusive evidence of Alejandro Garnacho or Lisandro Martinez's participation or presence in the scenario. The players have also not made any statements since the video came to light.