Online Reporter
COPS have made an arrest after Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo was allegedly racially abused on the pitch.
Last night’s season opener against Liverpool at Anfield had to be suspended in the 29th minute and cops subsequently escorted a fan in a wheelchair out of the stadium.
Semenyo, 25, from Ghana, had rushed to the referee following the alleged abuse before play was halted. Merseyside Police has now confirmed that a 47-year-old man from Liverpool is being held on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.
Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the game, 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, with the club, against those responsible.’’
He added: ‘‘There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately.’’ On X, the player — who scored two goals during the 4-2 loss — said the messages he has received were ‘‘overwhelming’’, and a reminder of why he loves the sport.
Semenyo wrote: ‘‘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 teammates 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 . . . we keep moving forward, together.’’ A spokesperson for Liverpool said: ‘‘We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society, or football.’’
The Premier League said in a statement that its ‘‘on-field anti-discrimination protocol’’ had been followed and the incident ‘‘will now be fully investigated’’.
‘‘We offer our full support to the player and both clubs,’’ it added. ‘‘Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society.
‘‘We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.’’ — Sun
