Merseyside Police have launched a hate crime investigation after a 47-year-old fan was ejected from Anfield following reports of racist abuse directed at Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during Friday’s Premier League opener.
The incident occurred in the first half, with play briefly stopped after referee Anthony Taylor was informed. Police confirmed the fan’s identity and removed him from the stadium.
Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander, said:
“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.”
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith described the incident as “totally unacceptable” and said:
“I’m shocked it happened in this day and age. I said to the ref I wanted him removed immediately, but the police went and sorted it. The Liverpool players were very supportive to Ant and the rest of the team.”
Liverpool released a statement saying:
“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. The club is unable to comment further as tonight’s alleged incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which we will support fully.”
Premier League officials also commented:
“Tonight’s match 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 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.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot added:
“The club made a clear statement. We don’t want this in football; we don’t want this happening in stadiums, especially not at Anfield. It takes the shine off the game because our fans were amazing, especially with the tributes to Diogo [Jota].”
Anti-racism charity Kick It Out said it “stands in solidarity” with Semenyo, praising the player for calling out the abuse and commending referee Anthony Taylor and his team for acting swiftly.
