A man has been arrested after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo was racially abused during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on 15 August.
Merseyside Police said the 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He was removed from the stadium and taken into custody for questioning.
The incident happened in the 29th minute as Semenyo prepared for a throw-in near the Main Stand. He immediately reported the abuse to referee Anthony Taylor, who paused the game to consult with both managers and team captains before play resumed. At half-time, an anti-discrimination message was read to the crowd.
Despite the abuse, Semenyo went on to score twice in the second half to bring Bournemouth level at 2-2, before Liverpool secured a 4-2 win with goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah.
After the match, Semenyo revealed he had also received racist messages online, sharing a screenshot of monkey emojis sent to him on Instagram. He wrote: “When will it stop?”
In a statement, Semenyo thanked the football community for their support, saying: “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.” He added that scoring his two goals felt like “speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch.”
Merseyside Police said they were working with Liverpool to seek football banning orders against those responsible. Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton said: “Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form.”
The Premier League condemned the incident, promising a full investigation and support for Semenyo, Bournemouth and Liverpool. Both clubs also issued statements saying racism has no place in football or society.
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith described the abuse as “totally unacceptable,” while Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk called it a “disgrace” and stressed the need to educate future generations.
The incident came just days after Tottenham’s Mathys Tel faced racial abuse online, highlighting the ongoing challenge of racism in football. The Football Association said it would take “appropriate action.”
Fans on social media praised Semenyo’s resilience, with one user writing: “He turned hate into strength and silenced that racist.”
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