UK’s most expensive footballer Enzo Fernandez facing driving ban

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A £100 million-rated Premier League footballer has been found guilty of a motoring offence and could be banned from driving.

Chelsea FC star Enzo Fernandez was convicted of failing to identify the driver of a Porsche Cayenne.

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 last year.

The midfielder was found guilty in his absence at a hearing at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, according to court documents.

Two other charges – of driving a car on a road without third party insurance and failing to stop at a red light in Church Street, Llanelli – were withdrawn.

Fernandez, whose address was given as the Chelsea training ground in Surrey, was ordered to attend the sentencing hearing in Llanelli on September 11.

Court documents state his attendance was required “to consider if there are mitigating circumstances (including exceptional hardship) for not ordering disqualification”.

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.

Earlier this week, Fernandez apologised for an “offensive” video posted on his Instagram account.

The video appeared to show him and his teammates chanting about the France team as they 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.