Liverpool Fan Banned From Stadiums for Making Racist Insults Against Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo

A Liverpool supporter who racially abused Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has been banned from attending football matches across the UK. Merseyside Police confirmed that the 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following the incident at the iconic Anfield on Friday. He has since been released on conditional bail, which includes a ban from all regulated football matches and a restriction preventing him from coming within one mile of any designated stadium.

Premier League Game Halted at Anfield after Alleged Abuse Towards Semenyo

Nick Collins, who was seated just meters away from the incident, reported that it prompted a temporary halt during the match as the abuse was investigated. Semenyo was preparing to take a throw-in during the 29th minute of the Liverpool vs Bournemouth match when he appeared to have an exchange with a rival supporter in the accessible seating area. Witnesses reported that the fan shouted a racist insult before throwing chewing gum at Semenyo, who later scored twice in the game.

Collins, a Liverpool fan who witnessed the event, described the individual as a season ticket holder with a history of disruptive behavior, noting, “He has crossed the line before by throwing things at officials.” The match was briefly stopped as officials and police addressed the situation.

Police have emphasized that racism will not be tolerated and confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the Liverpool vs Bournemouth game, said the force would not tolerate hate crime of any form. He commented that 'We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this, we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible. There is no place for racism, and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action, like we did this evening."
“As with all matches, we work very closely with both Liverpool and Everton FC to ensure the safety of the public and the players.” A spokesperson for Liverpool Football Club also said that 'We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society, or football.

Antoine Semenyo shared his thoughts on Instagram after the match, stating that the response to the alleged racial abuse he experienced at Liverpool showed football's "best side when it mattered most."
In his Instagram post, Bournemouth forward Semenyo reflected on the abuse, writing, "When will it stop?" He later added, "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." Merseyside Police reported that the 47-year-old man from Liverpool was identified and removed from Anfield before being arrested on Saturday.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk condemned the incident, calling it "a disgrace," and stated that anti-racism campaigns need to do more to eradicate such behavior from the sport. Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters commented that anyone guilty of racist abuse will be banned from stadiums and could face prosecution.

Recent Racial Abuse Incidents in Football

This incident follows closely on the heels of another case, where Mathys Tel received online abuse after missing a penalty in Tottenham's Super Cup defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. Last month, England defender Jess Carter revealed she was targeted with racist abuse during Euro 2025.

In response to this ongoing issue, the Lionesses halted their anti-racism gesture of taking the knee before matches, expressing that it was "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism." The Premier League has stated that all players will be asked to take the knee before two games in October to reaffirm their commitment against discrimination.

On Tuesday, Carter expressed concern that her England teammate Lauren James would face "astronomical" racist abuse if she had been the only player to miss a penalty in their Euros quarter-final shootout victory against Sweden. Former Lionesses defender Alex Scott stated she was not surprised by the news of Semenyo's abuse.