Former Chelsea and West Ham forward Carlton Cole has criticized Lionel Messi, accusing the football superstar of being selfish for his silence regarding racist chants directed at French players by Argentina teammates.
Cole’s remarks come in the wake of a controversial incident following Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Colombia in the Copa America on July 14.
During the celebration on the team bus, Enzo Fernandez and several other Argentine players were captured singing derogatory chants aimed at the French national team.
The chants, which were broadcast live by Fernandez on Instagram, mocked the heritage of French players, translating roughly to: “They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French.”
While Fernandez has since apologized for his involvement, Messi, who was not present during the incident, has remained silent on the matter.
Cole expressed his disappointment on talkSPORT, stating, “Argentina have got someone who is renowned as probably the best footballer to ever grace the beautiful game – Lionel Messi. We need to hear from Messi. He’s the captain and must address this behavior.”
Cole argued that Messi’s lack of response suggests indifference to the feelings of affected individuals, including his past black teammates.
He continued, “If Messi doesn’t speak up, it feels like he doesn’t care. It’s selfish and unacceptable. I condemn him for this silence.”