Argentina race row with France deepens as rugby team loudly booed at Olympics

Argentina’s race row with France escalated on the opening day of the Olympics as the South Americans’ rugby sevens team ran out before their match against Kenya to a chorus of loud boos.

The angry reaction to Argentina’s entrance at Stade de France comes amid growing tensions after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was filmed singing a racist chant during Copa America celebrations.

The chant stereotyped France squad members as being “all from Angola” or having a “Nigerian” mother and “Cameroonian” father, as well as making crude insults and wild accusations about Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe’s sexuality. Wesley Fofana, Fernandez’s French team-mate at Chelsea, described the video as “uninhibited racism”. Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea manager, attempted to cool tensions by claiming Fernandez was not a bad person.

The French rugby team’s tour of Argentina was also overshadowed by two incidents, with two French players, Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, placed under house arrest in Argentina after allegations of sexual assault. France’s Melvyn Jaminet was also sent home in disgrace after posting a racist video in which he said he would headbutt “the first Arab I come across on the road”.

Santiago Gomez Cora’s team are one of the favourites for Olympic gold having finished first at the end of the 2024 SVNS series, before losing the grand final in Madrid to France.

Boos continued after Argentina’s tries in the first half during their 31-12 win over Kenya. There was understandably a more euphoric reaction in France’s first match against the USA, with hundreds of tricolore flags waved to greet the side featuring one of the high-profile home stars of the Games in Antoine Dupont.

Elsewhere, fans complained of problems entering Stade de France to watch rugby sevens in scenes dubbed “pathetic” by those trying to get in.

Issues ahead of one of the opening events of the 2024 Games were caused by gates to the stadium only opening around half an hour before the start of the first game, according to frustrated supporters.

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