Football Family Stood Together On Racist Abuse - Semenyo

Bournemouth guardant Antoine Semenyo says nan consequence to nan alleged racist maltreatment he suffered astatine Liverpool connected Friday showed football's "best broadside erstwhile it mattered most".

Merseyside Police person launched an investigation aft Semenyo was abused by personification successful nan crowd during nan first half astatine Anfield, pinch a 47-year-old man later ejected from nan stadium.

Ghana world Semenyo took to Instagram aft nan crippled to show much racist maltreatment he had received, pinch nan caption: "When will it stop?"

In a further station connected Instagram connected Saturday, nan 25-year-old, who scored doubly successful Bournemouth's 4-2 defeat, said: "Last nighttime astatine Anfield will enactment pinch maine everlastingly - not because of 1 person's words, but because of really nan full shot family stood together.

"To my Bournemouth team-mates who supported maine successful that moment, to nan Liverpool players and fans who showed their existent character, to nan Premier League officials who handled it professionally - convey you. Football showed its champion broadside erstwhile it mattered most.

"Scoring those 2 goals felt for illustration speaking nan only connection that genuinely matters connected nan pitch. This is why I play - for moments for illustration these, for my team-mates, for everyone who believes successful what this beautiful crippled tin be.

"The overwhelming messages of support from crossed nan shot world punctual maine why I emotion this sport. We support moving forward, together."

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk called nan incident "a disgrace", and said anti-racism campaigns request to do much to eliminate it from nan game.

"The only point we tin do is woody pinch it by dealing pinch him personally and effort to amended nan adjacent generation," he said. "That is nan only measurement to effort and footwear it out, successful my opinion.

"I can't judge it. These things shouldn't hap but unluckily it does and it is an absolute ugliness successful my eyes."

The Premier League says it is investigating nan incident and has offered its support to Semenyo and some clubs.

Instagram's proprietor Meta said it is investigating and will return action against immoderate offending comments and accounts.