According to Argentina’s Ole newspaper, the coach of the Argentine U23 team preparing for the Paris Olympics, Mascherano, publicly supported national team midfielder Enzo Fernandez, stating that he is not a racist and accused the English media of exaggerating the incident.
After winning the Copa America, Enzo Fernandez posted a video on social media where he sang an offensive song with his teammates, targeting French players. This video sparked controversy, with Enzo’s Chelsea teammates condemning him and even unfollowing him on social media.
In an interview, Mascherano said, “Argentinians are definitely not racists, there is no doubt about that. I think the whole thing has been taken out of context. Our country is one with very strong inclusiveness, people from all over the world live here, and we should treat them as we should.”
He emphasized that Enzo is a good kid without any tendency towards racial discrimination, but rather said some joking words while celebrating victory, which were taken out of context by some.
“I know Enzo, he is a good kid, there is no problem. During celebrations, people may take part of the video and take it out of context,” said Mascherano.
Mascherano also pointed out that the English media and Enzo’s teammates reacted too strongly to this matter, even somewhat “over-interpreting” it.
“We should understand the culture of each country. Sometimes what we consider a joke can be misunderstood elsewhere. Enzo also expressed apologies on social media. Sometimes people blow things out of proportion,” Mascherano summarized at the pre-match press conference.
Mascherano’s remarks are undoubtedly a form of support for Enzo, also reflecting the attitude of Argentinians towards this matter. They believe that Enzo only said some joking words while celebrating victory and should not be over-interpreted as a racist act.