Noni Madueke has expressed confidence that “everything is going to be fine” when Enzo Fernandez returns to Chelsea’s squad despite ongoing disciplinary proceedings regarding allegations of racism.
Fernandez is expected to rejoin the squad on Monday, July 29, following accusations of his involvement in “uninhibited racism” made by Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana.
The French Football Federation expressed shock after footage emerged of what it termed a “racist and discriminatory” song sung by players after Argentina’s Copa America victory. The song includes lyrics questioning the heritage of France’s Black and mixed-race players.
Fernandez has since apologized both directly to his Chelsea teammates—six of whom are Frenchmen of African descent—and publicly. The club has initiated an internal disciplinary process, and FIFA has also launched an investigation.
Madueke, who started in the 2-2 draw with Wrexham during the first pre-season friendly under new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, stated that he and his teammates will address the situation internally.
“That’s something that’s between us players,” Madueke, 22, said. “Enzo is going to come back and join his team again and everything is going to be fine.”
These comments followed earlier remarks by Maresca, who stated during Chelsea’s pre-season tour that the situation was “already clear and clarified” and assured there would be “no problems at all.”
Captain Reece James has indicated his willingness to serve as a mediator if needed, as Chelsea continue their series of matches in the United States, including games against Celtic, Club America, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.
Madueke, who usually plays on the right wing, noted that he and his Chelsea teammates are concentrating on adapting to Maresca’s style of play, which represents a change from the approach of former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“You’ve got to stay high and wide and be very patient at times [as a winger],” he said.
“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.
“It’s about being patient and waiting for the opportunity to run and do my stuff.”
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