Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has broken his silence after allegedly being subjected to racial abuse during the clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
The Premier League curtain-raiser delivered plenty of drama, with the Reds eventually defeating the resilient Cherries 4-2 on Friday night.
However, much of the attention shifted away from the football itself following an incident involving Semenyo in the 28th minute.
As the Ghana international prepared to take a throw-in, he was reportedly targeted by a Liverpool supporter from the stands.
Semenyo immediately raised the issue with referee Anthony Taylor, leading to a brief stoppage while the score remained goalless.
The individual accused, said to have been in a wheelchair in the front row of the Main Stand, was swiftly removed from the ground.
Players from both sides showed their support for Semenyo during the break in play, with Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo notably offering comfort as the 25-year-old considered carrying on.
Semenyo has since addressed the incident publicly for the first time through his social media accounts.
Responding to a vile racist comment left on his Instagram account, the footballer posted to his Stories: ‘When will it stop…’
Despite being at the centre of the alleged incident, the winger delivered a standout performance on the opening day of the campaign.
With Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo giving the hosts a 2-0 lead, the contest appeared beyond Bournemouth’s reach.
Semenyo, however, struck twice to drag his side back into the game, one of which was a stunning solo effort that left Alisson with no chance.
Ultimately, Andoni Iraola’s men fell short, as late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mo Salah ensured Arne Slot’s team collected all three points to begin their title defence.
During the match, the Premier League issued an official statement strongly condemning the alleged abuse directed at Semenyo, shortly after an anti-discrimination message had been broadcast inside Anfield.
’Tonight’s match between Liverpool Football Club and AFC Bournemouth 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 Premier League’s on-field anti-discrimination protocol,’ the league’s statement read.
’The incident at Anfield will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs. 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.’
At half-time, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher also voiced their disapproval of the incident.
Neville said: ‘It overshadows what should be an amazing night, first game of the Premier League season.
’That boy [Semenyo] has basically been racially abused and had to complain about it. It’s despicable. I can’t even think what would be going through someone’s mind [to say that].
Carragher added: ‘The amount of campaigns we have, kick racism out, all over the world, it’s shocking to see an incident like that.
’A shocking incident and rightly reported to the referee.’
After the final whistle, Neville said: ‘There needs to be strong consequences. It’s what the game does. We see lots of statements, but the key thing is, what’s changing?’
Slot praised the supporters for honouring the late Diogo Jota, but admitted it was disheartening that such an incident overshadowed what should have been a memorable evening.
The Dutchman said: ‘We don’t want this in football, we don’t want this in a stadium, but especially not in Anfield.
’It’s unacceptable that something like this happens in a stadium, especially at Anfield. It takes the shine off – our fans were unbelievable with their tributes for Diogo.
’I didn’t hear it but it should definitely not happen in a stadium.’
In the other dugout, Iraola said: ‘Antoine, the referee, everyone explained the situation. The person has been identified.
’It was a great game of football, everyone watching, and now we have to be talking about these things. We should have been past this stage but people don’t behave correctly. Every step that you collectively do forward, with this it loses a lot of power.
’He did what he had to do. He said straight away, the referee explained the situation, I don’t think he lost his mind, but in the next minutes he was probably thinking. It was a big shame we have to be talking about these things.
’The Liverpool managers, the players, they feel it. Even if it’s a Liverpool supporter, they don’t want them with them. Everyone understands these things have to be out from everywhere, especially from football.’
In other news, ‘So Good’ – Andoni Iraola Names Liverpool Star Who ‘Made the Difference’ in Dramatic Win over Bournemouth