Police in Liverpool say a man accused of racially abusing Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo during a Premier League clash has been released on conditional bail.
According to Merseyside Police, the 47-year-old suspect from Liverpool is barred from attending football matches in the U.K. and must not come within one mile (1.6 kilometers) of any stadium while his bail conditions remain in force.
The arrest was made after Semenyo, who is Black, alerted the referee to racist abuse from a spectator in the first half of Bournemouth’s game against Liverpool at Anfield on Friday. The man was quickly removed from the stands, and the match was briefly halted.
Authorities confirmed that the investigation “remains ongoing and we continue to work closely with the club.”
Semenyo, a 25-year-old Ghanaian international, responded the following day, expressing gratitude for the solidarity shown. “Overwhelming messages of support,” he said, had poured in from Bournemouth teammates, Liverpool players, and the wider football community.
Despite the incident, the forward completed the full match and went on to score twice, though Bournemouth ultimately fell 4-2 to Liverpool.
