Merseyside Police have arrested a 47-year-old man from Liverpool after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused during Friday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool at Anfield.
The man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and taken into custody for questioning. He had earlier been ejected from the stadium after referee Anthony Taylor stopped play in the 29th minute when Semenyo raised the complaint.
Semenyo, who scored twice in the match, was also targeted with racist abuse on Instagram later that night. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, said it is investigating and has begun removing offensive comments and disabling accounts.
The incident has been condemned by both clubs and the Premier League, which confirmed it would launch a full investigation.
In a statement, Semenyo thanked his teammates, Liverpool players and fans, and match officials for their support, describing the collective response as football showing “its best side when it mattered most.”
