The new Premier League season started with an unexpected incident during the opening match between Liverpool and Bournemouth. During the meeting, a wheelchair supporter uttered racist remarks towards the Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo.
Semenyo, who had just made a touch on the side of the Anfield field, reported the incident to referee Anthony Taylor. The match was temporarily interrupted and the supporter was subsequently expelled from the stadium by the police.
Although the incident temporarily darkened the match, Semenyo reacted sportingly and with class. In the second half, he scored two goals, whose equalization after having put together the whole field, transforming his frustration on the field in performance.
His teammate Adam Smith was both complimentary and shocked. “I don’t know how he continued to play and score these goals, frankly. It’s totally unacceptable. I’m sorry for Antoine, who is a little shot.”
An open investigation
The Premier League reacted quickly to the incident: “The incident to Anfield will be carefully examined. We provide all our help to the two clubs. Racism has no place in our sport or in our society”. At a press conference, Arne Slot also expressed all her disgust for this sad episode.
However, the problem remained visible, even after the match. On Instagram, Semenyo received comments with monkeys emojis, stressing once again that the fight against racism in football is far from over. On the ground, Liverpool On the other hand, has much better honor to Diogo Jota, ending up winning on the 4-2 score.