A 71-year-old soccer fan has been arrested on suspicion of racist abuse towards Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo. premier league matchEverton said on Tuesday.
Everton have announced that Merseyside Police have arrested a 71-year-old man on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offenses after supporters and staff at Hill Dickinson Stadium reported the incident during Monday’s match.
Everton said in a statement: “Racism and discrimination in all its forms is completely unacceptable.”
Man City said they welcomed the “swift action taken by Everton and the police to identify the perpetrators”.
Semenyo was the target of a similar incident in the last Premier League game in Liverpool city center, when he was playing for Bournemouth in the season opener.
The Ghanaian international, who is black, claimed he was racially abused by a Liverpool fan as he prepared for a throw-in during Bournemouth’s 4-2 defeat at Anfield in August.
The game was temporarily stopped so the man could be removed from the stadium. He is scheduled to appear in court later this year.
Manchester City also condemned online racist abuse directed at defender Marc Guehi following Monday night’s 3-3 draw.
“We will continue to fully support both Antoine and Marc and will never accept any form of discrimination in our matches,” the club said in a statement.
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