Liverpool’s opening game of the new Premier League season was paused after Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo reported he had been racially abused by a supporter at Anfield.
After half an hour of the game, referee Anthony Taylor halted proceedings and had a conversation with the fourth official, Liverpool manager Arne Slot, and Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. Captains Virgil van Dijk and Adam Smith and the rest of the teams were informed of what had happened before play resumed.
TV cameras showed Semenyo, 25, informing Taylor of the racist comment from a member of the Anfield crowd as Liverpool prepared to take a corner, just before the referee halted the game.
An anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd once the half-time whistle had blown.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
“We can confirm a 47-year-old man has been ejected from Anfield Stadium following reports of racist abuse directed towards the Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo at this evening’s opening game of the season between Liverpool and Bournemouth,” it said in a statement.
“An investigation is underway after the man’s identity was confirmed and he was removed from the ground.
Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton added: “Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form. “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.”
Taylor speaks with both managers during the stoppage (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
After the game, Smith said on the incident: “It’s totally unacceptable. I’m sort of in shock, to be honest. It shouldn’t be happening in this day and age. I don’t know how Ant (Semenyo) has played on to be honest, and come up with those goals. I just feel sorry for Ant. He’s a bit down, obviously, and to carry on playing. Something needs to be done. Taking a knee is not having an effect. We’re supporting him in there and hopefully he’ll be okay.”
“To be honest, I wanted him to react. That’s what I would have done. I would have gone straight over there. But this just shows what type of man he is: not to react when it happened, to carry on, then he reported it to the ref. To come up with those goals shows what type of guy he is and what character he has. Fair play to Ant.”
“I’m more angry to be honest and shocked, “Smith continued. “Obviously, I said to the ref that I wanted him removed immediately, but you have to go through a process and the police will go in and sort it. To be fair, the Liverpool players were very supportive as well towards Antoine and the rest of the team. I think it was handled in the right way but I am just so angry.
“We’ve had discussions with the Premier League about it, so they have been taking it seriously. But I was just speaking to some of the lads in there, and I just don’t know what we can do. We’ve been doing it for a long time now, and no one’s getting it. I don’t know what to say anymore. I just feel sorry for Ant that he’s had to take that tonight and the whole country is watching. For that to happen is shocking.”
Tonight’s match between Liverpool Football Club and AFC Bournemouth was temporarily paused during the first half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. This is in line with the Premier League’s on-field…
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) August 15, 2025
Liverpool issued a statement after the game, saying: “We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms; it has no place in society or football. The club is unable to comment further as tonight’s alleged incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which we will support fully.”
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said: “It overshadows what should be an amazing night. The first game of the Premier League season, a beautiful day, 62,000 fans in the stadium and that boy has been racially abused and had to go over to a referee and complain about it.
“It’s despicable. I can’t even begin to think what will be going through someone’s mind. However, it’s happened, it will keep on happening, and it’s a sorry state.”
The Football Association also said that they are “very concerned” about the incident, saying in a statement: “Incidents of this nature have no place in our game and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure the appropriate action is taken.”
Semenyo went on to score two second-half goals in Liverpool’s 4-2 victory.
Posting on social media on Saturday morning, Semenyo thanked the football community for coming together to support him.
“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,” he wrote.
“To my Bournemouth team-mates who supported me in that moment, to the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true character, to the Premier League
officials who handled it professionally – thank you. Football showed its best side when it mattered most.
“Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch. This is why I play — for moments like these, for my team-mates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.
“The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.”
(Top photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)