The opening match of the Premier League between Liverpool and Bournemouth was temporarily suspended Friday after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenillo reported being racially abused by an audience within Anfield.
In the 28th minute with a 0-0 score, referee Anthony Taylor spoke with Black Semeño, but Liverpool was preparing to win a corner.
Taylor then ran to the sideline and spoke with coaches from both Liverpool’s Arneslot and Bournemouth’s Andniiraora. After talking to the captain, play resumed about two minutes later.
Semeño’s complaints are the reason for the suspension, and the Premier League has been confirmed by the Associated Press.
Bournemouth played the full game and comforted Semeño, who scored both goals for the team in a 4-2 loss.
Iraora said the person who abused Semenyo has been identified.
“It’s a really great football game, the first game of the season that everyone is watching, and it’s a shame because we still have to talk about this today,” Iraora said.
“We should go past this stage, but there are still people who don’t behave correctly.
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith said he was “shocked” and he was filled with praise for Semeño, the 25-year-old Ghana International.
“To be honest, I don’t know how Ali played and come up with those goals,” Smith said. “That’s completely unacceptable and I just feel sorry for Ali. He’s clearly falling a little.”
Smith said he asked Taylor to quickly release anyone who abused Semeño from the stadium.
“But he said we had to go through the process and the police would sort it out,” Smith said. “And to be fair, the Liverpool players were supported by Antoine and the other teams, and I think that was handled the right way.”
After the half-time whistle, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowds within Anfield.
The Premier League investigated the incident and said it would “provide full support for the players and both clubs.”
“Racism has no place anywhere in our game or in our society,” the competition said.
“We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure that the stadium is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.”
The Football Association said it was “very worried about allegations of discrimination from the crowd field.”
“An incident of this nature has no place in our game,” the FA added. “And we will work closely with match officials, clubs and relevant authorities to ensure that facts are established and appropriate action is taken.”
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
