Antoine Semenyo: Man arrested after footballer 'racially abused' during first Premier League match of season

A man has been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing a Bournemouth player during the first Premier League match of the season.

Antoine Semenyo had accused a spectator of making unacceptable remarks during the 29th minute of the game against Liverpool – and a man was later ejected from Anfield.

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.

He has been taken into custody to be questioned.

On X, the winger – who scored two goals during the match – 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.”

Following the incident, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd, and it is understood that police officers went into the referee’s room at half-time.

Merseyside Police said a 47-year-old man was removed from the ground and an investigation was underway after his identity was confirmed.

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.”

A spokesperson for Liverpool said: “We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society, or football.”

Semenyo scored twice in the second half to help bring Bournemouth back from two goals down at Anfield before Liverpool went on to eventually win the contest 4-2.

Bournemouth captain Adam Smith told Sky Sports News afterwards: “It shouldn’t be happening. I don’t know how Ant’s played on to be honest and come up with those goals. It’s totally unacceptable.

“Something needs to be done. Taking the knee isn’t having an effect. We’re supporting him and hopefully he’ll be okay.

“I wanted him to react because that’s what I would have done, but this shows what type of man he is … to come up with those goals showed the type of guy he is.

“To be fair the Liverpool players were very supportive as well towards Antoine and the rest of the team. It was handled in the right way but … so angry.

“I don’t know what else we can do. No one’s getting it. I don’t know what to say anymore. I just feel for Ant … shocking.”

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.”

The Football Association said it was “concerned” about the allegation of racism towards Semenyo and that it would ensure “appropriate action” would be taken.

The incident comes two days after Tottenham Hotspur player Mathys Tel faced racist abuse online following a missed penalty in his team’s UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain.