The issue of Enzo Fernandez’s racism has come to the fore – with an emergency summit between the French and Argentine presidents.
Tensions between the two nations are at breaking point due to racist chanting aimed at French football stars.
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Argentine President Javier Milei arrived on Thursday for talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to try to calm the situation ahead of Friday’s Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Argentine Olympic players were targeted with bottles and fireworks during their defeat to Morocco in Saint-Etienne on Wednesday.
And last night his country’s rugby sevens team entered a pit of “toxic” hate when they were defeated by Antoine Dupont and the hosts 26-14 in the quarter-finals at the Stade de France in Paris.
The French football federation filed a legal complaint over “unacceptable racist and discriminatory comments” in a video filmed by Fernandez.
The chant, sung by Argentina’s Copa América winners, was originally sung by their fans ahead of the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
Defending her country’s football players, Milei’s deputy, Victoria Villarruel, insisted that Argentina would not tolerate criticism from a “colonialist” country.
These comments further outraged the French, while Sports Minister Julio Garro was fired by Milei after asking captain Lionel Messi to apologize on behalf of the team.
Argentina backed down, with a government spokesman denying Villarruel’s comments.
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But incidents in Saint-Etienne and Paris have highlighted tensions.
The spokesman announced that Milei would meet with Macron and other French officials at the Élysée Palace, with issues between the countries considered a significant part of the agenda.
The Argentine team of seven suffered deafening verbal attacks.
Former England winger Ugo Monye described him as “toxic”.
What is happening today at the Games?
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY…
Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Opening Ceremony
Only one show in town today.. almost!
The historic Opening Ceremony, which takes place on the banks of the River Seine, and not in a stadium, ends on Friday night.
While there was football and seven-a-side rugby among the events that began before this week’s ceremony, they will not take place on the day of the big celebration.
Only pre-event shooting training will take place on the day of the Opening Ceremony.
Click here to all the events happening today in Paris 2024.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE Blog.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
