Official: Chelsea sign Enzo Fernandez on an Eight and a Half Year Contract

[Blue Kratos]

Please don't tell chelsea will now play cricket instead of football.

It was only a preseason game 😆

[east lower]

40 minutes ago, Alex said:

Did you hear that Strauss moment on Australian commentary? All the fallout from the 'KPgenius' twitter account. Andrew Strauss is a very lovely man, definitely one of life's good guys.

Never met Stuart, I'm totally partisan Surrey, so him being a Surrey legend and a Chelsea fan means it's love even if I've never met the chap.

Yes, Strauss called him a c**k when he thought the mike was switched off, during commentary. Bit of history between the two though as Peterson had been previously caught joking with the opposing team about Strauss and allegedly gave them tips on how to get Strauss out - although Peterson denied the last bit.

South Africans the pair of them. Strange people that they are. A wit once said to me the only thing worse than being in a roomful of drunk Aussies, is being in a roomful of drunk South Africans. He didn’t use ‘drunk’ though in his description. 

[Sciatika]

ESPN interview with Reece

Quote

ESPN: I must ask you about about the Enzo Fernandez situation. As Captain can you tell us firstly what your reaction is to it and and if you've spoken to Enzo and and any of the other teammates about the situation?

Reece James: It's a really difficult situation. There's no room for you know racism or discrimination in football and I think he you know quickly put his hand up and acknowledged he done wrong and apologized to his teammates and the club and the rest of the people that were offended and I think that was probably the best he could have done in that situation.

ESPN: Have you spoken to him personally?

RJ: I spoke to him a bit, but it was it was hard because he was on different time zones

ESPN: What did you say?

RJ: Just general chat really and his views on what happened and him trying to explain his situation and how things happened.

ESPN: Do you think there's any danger that it could affect team spirit in particularly obviously in the preseason? I know he's away at the moment but when he comes back and and he's sort  of reintegrated,  do you think there's any fear that there could be an issue there sort of internally?

RJ: Of course there's always you know the factor where  it doesn't sit right with people and there could be a problem but until the day comes where everyone's together and in a room together, I don't know but I hope things can be resolved smoothly and we can move forward with the season.

 

[Backbiter]

I can't see the Argentina FA dishing out this level of punishment, but don't be surprised if the English FA take action against one of our players.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx82v34plwro

[Ham]

48 minutes ago, Backbiter said:

I can't see the Argentina FA dishing out this level of punishment, but don't be surprised if the English FA take action against one of our players.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx82v34plwro

Interesting that the rape by a couple of teammates is a footnote to this story.

[Backbiter]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

Interesting that the rape by a couple of teammates is a footnote to this story.

That is still being dealt with by the police, I believe. 

[hallgalley]

Not the biggest punishment as per the part from the article below

 

The Toulouse full-back can reduce his ban by eight weeks by taking part in anti-discrimination activities to "promote the values of sport".

Completion of those activities would free Jaminet to be available for selection before the start of the 2025 Six Nations.

[Sciatika]

 

[Proud-Blue]

I am glad that it seems the talks went well, and I've heard he's making a donation to a charity and that'll be matched by the Chelsea Foundation. At least that means a positive comes out of this.

[Ham]

I suspect all is not well with Fofana based upon his cryptic anime' Instagram post yesterday which coincided with Enzo returning.  

 

[ROTG]

38 minutes ago, Proud-Blue said:

I am glad that it seems the talks went well, and I've heard he's making a donation to a charity and that'll be matched by the Chelsea Foundation. At least that means a positive comes out of this.

There is nothing positive about a racist and two weeks of saying sorry and giving a couple of bob to a charity, doesn't make amends. 

The bloke should not be anywhere near the club this season. 

Just tells you how low this this ownership will stoop.

One can only hope some of the offended players are not so forth coming to take the olive branch 

Edited July 30 by ROTG

[Mark Kelly]

1 minute ago, ROTG said:

There is nothing positive about a racist and two weeks of saying sorry and giving a couple of bob to a charity, doesn't make amends. 

The bloke should not be anywhere near the club this season. 

Just tells you how low this this ownership will stoop.

One can only hope some of the offended player are not so forth coming to take the olive branch 

Whatever happened to "turn the other cheek" ? 

[ROTG]

9 minutes ago, Ham said:

I suspect all is not well with Fofana based upon his cryptic anime' Instagram post yesterday which coincided with Enzo returning.  

 

I would be fully supportive if Fofana ask to be moved on. 

[Mark Kelly]

5 minutes ago, ROTG said:

I would be fully supportive if Fofana ask to be moved on. 

So would I

[ROTG]

7 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Whatever happened to "turn the other cheek" ? 

 

Maybe in some eyes,  10 hail Mary's and a wad of cash in the collection box is good enough to turn the other cheek. 

Edited July 30 by ROTG

[Ham]

3 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

So would I

I don't think that was a high five moment. 

[paulw66]

15 minutes ago, ROTG said:

There is nothing positive about a racist and two weeks of saying sorry and giving a couple of bob to a charity, doesn't make amends. 

 

A donation to charity is generally considered positive. 

Not excusing anything btw. 

[Sciatika]

To me, the important thing is how the black French players feel about it. My feelings are very much secondary.

[Mark Kelly]

3 minutes ago, Sciatika said:

To me, the important thing is how the black French players feel about it. My feelings are very much secondary.

Exactly .

[paulw66]

46 minutes ago, Sciatika said:

To me, the important thing is how the black French players feel about it. My feelings are very much secondary.

Also, the fact he has been at the club for 18 months should give those players (and the whole club) a feel for what he is actually like as a person.

Yes, the video is horrid, and he was an idiot. Not excusing anything. 

[Proud-Blue]

3 hours ago, paulw66 said:

A donation to charity is generally considered positive. 

Not excusing anything btw. 

Indeed, that's why in my initial post I put "a" positive rather than indicate that I thought the whole thing was positive. It's undoubtedly a big negative that this has happened. 

 

2 hours ago, Sciatika said:

To me, the important thing is how the black French players feel about it. My feelings are very much secondary.

I feel this too. I just hope that any reconciliation is genuine and not something they've been pressured to do because the club is afraid of trying to shift him. 

[Guest Alex]

3 hours ago, Sciatika said:

To me, the important thing is how the black French players feel about it. My feelings are very much secondary.

Something I can agree with you about.

[Guest Alex]

On 27/07/2024 at 00:12, Ham said:

Interesting that the rape by a couple of teammates is a footnote to this story.

That was another story, and huge news in France and also covered by the Beeb, they're just linking to an earlier story.

[Guest Alex]

On 26/07/2024 at 23:23, Backbiter said:

I can't see the Argentina FA dishing out this level of punishment, but don't be surprised if the English FA take action against one of our players.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx82v34plwro

Got to hand it to the French rugby association for that clear statement in the midst of all the public anger at Argentina and on the back of a hugely bad-tempered summer tour there.

He'll miss all the Autumn internationals and is their best all-round fullback. He's much better defensively than Ramos, almost as good going forward and an equally good place-kicker.

[Guest Alex]

And today was good and was expected. Fernandez will eventually resolve it with Fofana, who I wouldn't like to lose at all (I'm predicting that, fitness allowing, he and Colwill should become our first choice CB pairing). Fernandez's best career option is to make a go of it with us, rather than becoming a loan pariah like Lukaku with uncertainty hanging over him every year.

He'll just have to get used to all the away ground booing.

Edited July 30 by Alex