Havoc at the Football Stadium: Footballer Racially Abused

On Friday, during the first football game of the Premier League season, Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo reported that a man in the crowd racially abused him. The 47-year-old man, who was arrested, was removed from Anfield Stadium and has been banned from all football stadiums in the UK for his bail. Semenyo, after informing the referee about the situation, was extremely grateful for his team’s support.

The game was stopped briefly in the 29th minute by referee Anthony Taylor and resumed 4 minutes later, in which Semenyo scored twice for Bournemouth and lost 4-2 to Liverpool. After discussing the situation with the team captains, Adam Smith of Bournemouth and Liverpool’s Captain, Virgil van Dijk, both agreed that the man’s actions were unacceptable and should be dealt with.

The Saturday after the game, 25-year-old Semenyo shared on Instagram, “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.” Not only did his team help him through the harsh words, but the Liverpool team also supported him, stating that this man’s actions were a “disgrace.”

Many fans and both team captains of Bournemouth and Liverpool agree that Semenyo showed his courage in calling out the racist statement while continuing to play his best for his team. “To my Bournemouth team-mates 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,” Semenyo continued.

Merseyside Police continues to investigate and look deeper into what happened at the stadium to prevent it from continuing. “Incidents of this nature have no place in our game, and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure the appropriate action is taken,” the Football Association shared in a statement.

Many praise Semenyo for his bravery and strength through this difficult time. Though there are still people who do not appreciate everyone equally, many organizations continue to work hard to ensure that situations like this do not happen again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c0e9ddlvz8wo, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm218l7jm5xo, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyvdp2n205o