The Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield was briefly stopped on Friday after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by a spectator.
In the 28th minute with the score at 0-0, referee Anthony Taylor was seen talking to Semenyo, who is Black, at a Liverpool corner.
Taylor then jogged to the sideline and spoke to both coaches, Liverpool’s Arne Slot and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola. After talking also to the captains, play resumed about two minutes later.
The Premier League confirmed to The Associated Press that Semenyo’s complaint was the reason for the stoppage.
Bournemouth’s players consoled Semenyo, who played the full game and scored both of his team’s goals in a 4-2 loss.
An anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd inside Anfield after the halftime whistle, the BBC reported.
The Football Association said it was “very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd.”
“Incidents of this nature have no place in our game,” the FA added, “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.”
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
