Man arrested after Antoine Semenyo reports racist abuse

A man has been arrested after Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused during the opening match of the Premier League at Anfield.

Friday’s game with current champions Liverpool was briefly halted in the 29th minute after Semenyo flagged it up to the referee.

Merseyside Police said a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was identified and removed from Anfield Stadium following the report.

He was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and taken into custody for questioning.

The game resumed four minutes after the reported abuse and Semenyo scored twice for Bournemouth, who lost 4-2 to Liverpool.

Bournemouth captain Adam Smith later told Sky Sports: “It shows what kind of man he is to report it to the ref and carry on.

“The Liverpool players were very supportive to Ant and the rest of the team.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said the incident “takes the shine off [the game] a bit because our fans were amazing, especially with the tributes to Diogo”.

In a statement, the Premier League said they would also be conducting an investigation.

The Football Association added: “Incidents of this nature have no place in our game, and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure the appropriate action is taken.”

The anti-discrimination body Kick It Out said they “stand in solidarity with Antoine and can’t praise him enough for his courage in calling this out after such a distressing episode before going on to score twice”.

“Anthony Taylor and his refereeing team also deserve credit for acting swiftly and decisively.”