A 47-year-old man has been banned from all football stadiums in the UK after he was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing AFC Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo during the Premier League match against Liverpool last Friday.
Merseyside Police said the man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and had been conditionally bailed.
Those conditions include not attending any regulated football match in the UK and not to go within one mile of a designated football stadium.
“An investigation into the incident, which occurred during a Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday 15 August, remains ongoing and we continue to work closely with the club,” a statement from Merseyside Police said.
The match at Anfield was briefly stopped in the 29th minute by referee Anthony Taylor after the incident had been flagged by Semenyo.
After the match, the player posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the 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".
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.
— Antoine Semenyo (@semenyo924) August 16, 2025
To my @afcbournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the @LiverpoolFC players and fans who showed their true… pic.twitter.com/6sNyv3vROK
Both clubs and their sets of players as well as the Premier League supported Semenyo after the incident, as well as condemning all forms of racism and discrimination.
Sadly, Semenyo was also subjected to online abuse after the match, which the Premier League’s dedicated team has investigated. As well as its investigations team, the League also provides mental and emotional wellbeing support for players who have suffered discriminatory abuse.
The League's Matchday Observer Programme is in its third full season, monitoring fan behaviour within stadiums at each of the 380 Premier League fixtures. This ensures a detailed report of supporter-related incidents, including discriminatory abuse, is submitted from all matches.
How to report racism
Fans are encouraged to report any forms of discrimination and racism they witness, whether at stadiums or online.
For more information, go to preml.ge/reportracism