A 47-year-old man from Liverpool who was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing the Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo has been conditionally bailed and banned from attending matches, Merseyside police said on Monday.
The Premier League game between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday was halted during the first half after Semenyo told the referee he was targeted by a man in the crowd. The Ghana forward scored twice in the second half, but Liverpool won the match 4-2.
Police said a man had been ejected from Anfield over the incident and announced they had made an arrest the following day. “He has now been bailed with conditions, which includes not to attend any regulated football match in the UK and not to go within one mile of a designated football stadium,” Merseyside police said, adding that the investigation was still ongoing.
The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, condemned the racist abuse directed at Semenyo, saying that the Players’ Voice Panel would aid the 25-year-old. On Saturday, Semenyo thanked his teammates, Liverpool, match officials and the “entire football family” for their support.
