Liverpool, 16 Aug – A 47-year-old man from Merseyside is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during Friday’s Premier League opener at Anfield.
Play was halted in the 29th minute after Semenyo alerted referee Anthony Taylor to the abuse; the suspect was promptly ejected and was formally arrested on Saturday, Merseyside Police confirmed.
Hours later, the 25-year-old Ghana international was targeted again on Instagram. Screenshots he posted carried the caption: “When will it stop?” Meta told Sky Sports it is investigating and has begun removing comments and disabling offending accounts.
In a statement on Saturday, Semenyo praised the collective response of the football community, calling it “football at its best when it mattered most”.
“Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever – not because of one person’s words, but because the entire football family stood together,” he wrote. “To my Bournemouth team-mates who backed me, the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true colours, and the officials who acted swiftly – thank you.
“Scoring twice felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch. This is why I play: for moments like these, for my team-mates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.”
Both clubs and the Premier League have condemned the incident, with the league pledging a full investigation.
