The first Premier League match of the new season between Liverpool and Bournemouth was paused on Friday night after a serious incident of racist abuse from the crowd. Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo, who is 25 years old and plays for Ghana, told officials he had been abused by someone in the Anfield stands.
The referee Anthony Taylor stopped the match in the 29th minute when Liverpool were about to take a corner. He then spoke with both managers and called the team captains Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool and Adam Smith of Bournemouth to the touchline. After discussions, the game resumed about four minutes later with the score still 0-0.
Despite the abuse, Semenyo showed great strength. In the second half, he scored twice in only 12 minutes, helping Bournemouth fight back and level the score. But Liverpool, the defending champions, responded late in the game with two more goals to secure a 4-2 win.
After the match, Semenyo posted on Instagram to reveal even more racist messages he had received online. He shared the words “When will it stop?” as a message to highlight the problem that many black players are still facing today.
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith said he was shocked and angry. Speaking to Sky Sports, he called the incident “totally unacceptable” and added that it was very hard to believe this could still happen in modern football. Smith praised Semenyo for his bravery, saying he did not know how his teammate managed to continue playing and even score goals after such an experience.
“I wanted the referee to remove the person immediately, and the police handled it,” Smith said. “The Liverpool players showed support as well. Everyone in the country saw this and it is just shocking.”
At half-time, a message against discrimination was read out to the Anfield crowd. After the match, both the Football Association and Liverpool issued strong statements. The FA said they were very concerned about the incident and would work with clubs, match officials and the police to take proper action. Liverpool Football Club also said racism and discrimination have no place in society or in football, and that they would fully support the ongoing investigation.
Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot spoke after the game and said that the night should have been remembered for football and for the tributes to Diogo, but the incident took away from it. He made it clear that the club and supporters do not want to see such behaviour at Anfield or in any stadium.
The Premier League also confirmed that the incident would be fully investigated and reminded fans that racism has no place in football or in society. The campaign group Kick It Out said they stood with Semenyo, praising him for calling it out and showing courage to continue playing. They also gave credit to referee Anthony Taylor for acting quickly.
This incident comes just two days after Tottenham player Mathys Tel was racially abused online following a Super Cup match. In recent years, many players, including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Bukayo Saka and Jess Carter, have also been victims of racist abuse.
The repeated cases have raised concerns that racism is still deeply rooted in football. Campaigners, players and officials have called for stronger punishment and more action so that stadiums can be safe, welcoming places for everyone.