Premier League Kickoff Interrupted by Racial Abuse Report

Premier League Kickoff Interrupted by Racial Abuse Report

The highly anticipated Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield was dramatically interrupted in the first half on Saturday after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported receiving racial abuse from a member of the crowd.

Semenyo, the 25-year-old Cherries attacker, was playing his side's opening Premier League fixture. The incident occurred during a Liverpool corner kick on the 29th minute, leading referee Anthony Taylor to stop play immediately. Both team captains were subsequently called to discuss the matter before the game resumed from a 0-0 scoreline four minutes later.

Bournemouth captain Adam Smith expressed shock at the incident. "Totally unacceptable," Smith told Sky Sports. "It's shocking that this happened in this day and age. I don't know how Ant has carried on playing and scored goals like he did afterwards." Smith acknowledged Semenyo's distress but praised his handling of the situation. "He's a little bit down, and something needs to be done immediately," Smith added, also commending Semenyo for reporting the abuse to the referee.

In the second half, Semenyo indeed redeemed himself, scoring twice within 12 minutes to briefly level the scores for Bournemouth. However, Liverpool eventually won the match 4-2. Following the interruption, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the players in the tunnel.

The Football Association issued a statement expressing concern and committing to an investigation: "We are very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd... Incidents of this nature have no place in our game." The Premier League echoed this stance, confirming it was investigating the incident and supporting both clubs.

Organisations like Kick It Out voiced strong solidarity with Semenyo, highlighting the ongoing issue of racism in football. Kick It Out stated, "We stand in solidarity with Antoine and can't praise him enough for his courage... Football still has a long way to go."

This incident follows recent high-profile cases involving racial abuse directed at players, including Tottenham's Mathys Tel (online) and England defender Jess Carter (during Euro 2025). Liverpool and Bournemouth management have confirmed discussions are underway regarding the matter.