A 47-year-old Liverpool man has been arrested following racist abuse directed at Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during Friday night’s Premier League season opener at Anfield, Merseyside Police have confirmed.
The incident occurred in the 28th minute of Liverpool’s dramatic 4-2 victory over the Cherries, with Semenyo immediately reporting the racial abuse to referee Anthony Taylor, who halted the match whilst both managers were informed of the situation.
Police confirmed the suspect’s identity was quickly established and he was removed from the stadium during half-time. The man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and taken into custody for questioning.
Match Halted as Player Reports Abuse
The Premier League fixture was temporarily paused after Semenyo, 25, flagged the abuse to referee Taylor, with the official immediately implementing the league’s anti-discrimination protocol. Taylor consulted with both Liverpool manager Arne Slot and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola on the touchline whilst police officers made their way to the sidelines.
The match resumed after a three-minute stoppage, with the alleged perpetrator ejected from Anfield at half-time. Witnesses reported seeing a fan being escorted away by police officers just before the second half began.
A statement from Merseyside Police read: “We have arrested a man following reports racist abuse was directed towards Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo during his team’s Premier League fixture versus Liverpool at Anfield on Friday 15 August.
“The suspect’s identity was confirmed and he was removed from the ground following the report. A 47-year-old man from Liverpool has today (Saturday 16 August) been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He has been taken into custody to be interviewed.”
Semenyo’s Remarkable Response
Despite the distressing incident, the Ghana international showed extraordinary mental strength to continue playing and scored twice in the second half, hauling Bournemouth level at 2-2 after Liverpool had taken a two-goal lead through debutant Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo.
Semenyo broke his silence on social media following the match, writing: “Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever. Not because of one person’s words, but because of how the entire football family stood together.
“To my Bournemouth team-mates who supported me in that moment, to the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true character, to the Premier League officials who handled it professionally – thank you. Football showed its best side when it mattered most.”
Liverpool Win Thriller Despite Controversy
The match itself proved to be a thrilling start to the new Premier League season, with Liverpool eventually prevailing 4-2 thanks to late goals from substitute Federico Chiesa in the 88th minute and Mohamed Salah in stoppage time.
The evening had begun with an emotional tribute to late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who died in a car crash in July. Fans held up a mosaic spelling out their initials and shirt numbers during a minute’s silence.
New £70 million signing Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring in the 37th minute on his Premier League debut before setting up Gakpo early in the second half. However, Semenyo’s brilliant brace, including a spectacular solo effort from inside his own half, brought the visitors level and stunned Anfield into silence.
Chiesa’s late intervention and Salah’s breakaway goal secured victory for the defending champions, with Salah becoming the first player to score in 10 Premier League opening weekends. The Egyptian was seen in tears after the match as fans sang Jota’s name.
Strong Condemnation from Football Community
Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised Semenyo’s mental fortitude and condemned the abuse. “We definitely don’t want this at Anfield. Unfortunately it is part of the story because we should talk about the great tribute for Diogo Jota. This should never happen in football, let alone Anfield,” he said.
“I spoke to him after the game to say we will do everything to find this person and wherever we can we will try to help. Credit to him, he’s very strong mentally, to get such a strong second-half performance after this shows the kind of player he is. Unacceptable in football in general, let alone at Anfield.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports: “I spoke to him during and after the game. I’m glad that the authorities are dealing with it. I told him anything he needs from us, we are here for him. I stand by him. It will be dealt with by the authorities and the club.”
Bournemouth Officials Express Fury
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith was visibly angered by the incident, telling broadcasters: “Totally unacceptable, shocked that it happened in this day and age. It shouldn’t be happening. I don’t know how Ant has played on and come up with those goals.
“It’s more angry, to be honest. Shocked. I said to the ref I wanted him removed immediately. He said we have to go through a process and the police will sort it. The Liverpool players were very supportive as well to Antoine and the rest of the team. I think it was handled in the right way, but just so angry.”
Manager Andoni Iraola expressed frustration that the incident would overshadow an excellent match. “I didn’t notice live because a lot of people [were] shouting. But straight away, Antoine and the ref both explained the situation to both managers,” he said.
“To be fair, I think from the Liverpool side they have identified this person. It is a shame that in the first game of the Premier League, a very good game of football between two teams that played a very good game, we have to start talking about things that were probably considered from the past.
“Obviously, they are not from the past, but we have to continue reinforcing the messages, and it’s a big shame because in the end, most of the news will be about this thing, because obviously it is still something that is still a big problem – overall, not just in football.”
Club and League Statements
Liverpool issued a statement during the match condemning the incident: “Liverpool Football Club is aware of an allegation of racist abuse made during our Premier League game against AFC Bournemouth. We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society or football.”
The Premier League confirmed the incident would be fully investigated, stating: “Tonight’s match between Liverpool Football Club and AFC Bournemouth was temporarily paused during the first half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. This is in line with the Premier League’s on-field anti-discrimination protocol. The incident at Anfield will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs. Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society.”
Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, who was the match commander at Anfield, said: “Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form. We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders.”
The incident serves as a stark reminder that despite years of anti-racism campaigns and initiatives, football still faces challenges in eradicating discrimination from stadiums.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Antoine Semenyo first interview with AFC Bournemouth media (27 Jan 2023) – by AFC Bournemouth, licensed under CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
