Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been found guilty of a motoring offence, potentially banning the UK’s most expensive footballer from driving. The 23-year-old Argentinian was charged with failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver when required to by Dyfed-Powys Police on December 27, 2023.
Fernandez did not attend the hearing and was found guilty in his absence. The midfielder has already been in the news this week after he posted a video of him and his Argentina teammates chanting which included ‘racist’ and discriminatory language regarding the African heritage of multiple members of the French national team.
Fernandez has since apologised for the “offensive” video posted on his Instagram account as the team celebrated their 1-0 Copa America victory over Colombia. Chelsea released a statement welcoming Fernandez’s apology while announcing disciplinary proceedings. Football’s world governing body Fifa said it too was investigating.
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The Chelsea player also faced two other charges from the incident when he was driving in Wales. One of driving a car on a road without third-party insurance and another of failing to stop at a red light in Church Street, Llanelli, however, both were withdrawn.
Fernandez won the World Cup with Argentina in December 2022 and a month later joined Chelsea in a British transfer record £106.8 million deal from Benfica.
He joined the Lisbon side in the summer of 2022 from Argentinian club River Plate for £8.8 million and played just 29 games before moving to London.
Fernandez, whose address was given as the Chelsea training ground in Surrey, was ordered to attend the sentencing hearing in Llanelli on September 11.
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