"Madueke Confident in Chelsea's Unity Amid Fernandez Racism Allegations"
Chelsea, UK - Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has expressed confidence that the team's internal harmony will remain intact when Enzo Fernandez returns to the squad on Monday, July 29, despite ongoing disciplinary proceedings concerning allegations of racism.
Midfielder Fernandez, 23, is under scrutiny following accusations of "uninhibited racism" by teammate Wesley Fofana. The controversy erupted after footage surfaced of players singing a "racist and discriminatory" song post-Argentina's Copa America victory, as described by the French Football Federation. The song's lyrics question the heritage of France's black and mixed-race players.
In response, Fernandez has issued both public and private apologies, particularly to his Chelsea teammates, six of whom are Frenchmen of African descent. Chelsea has initiated an internal disciplinary process, while FIFA has also launched an investigation.
Madueke, who featured in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Wrexham in the first pre-season friendly under new manager Enzo Maresca, assured that the squad would handle the matter internally. "That's something that's between us players," said the 22-year-old winger. "Enzo is going to come back and join his team again and everything is going to be fine."
Maresca has similarly downplayed the incident during Chelsea's pre-season tour, asserting that the issue has been "already clear and clarified" and will not pose "any problems at all."
Team captain Reece James has offered to act as a mediator if needed as Chelsea continues their pre-season fixtures in the United States, which include matches against Celtic, Club America, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.
Madueke, who typically plays on the right wing, highlighted the team's focus on adapting to Maresca's tactical style, a shift from the approach under former manager Mauricio Pochettino. "You've got to stay high and wide and be very patient at times [as a winger]," Madueke explained. "A lot of the time you might not get touches in lower areas of the pitch, but it's about staying high and waiting for that killer pass when you can go and do real damage."
With a string of high-profile friendlies ahead, Chelsea’s players are determined to move past the controversy and concentrate on building a cohesive and competitive unit for the upcoming season.
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