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Liverpool match halted after Bournemouth's Semenyo reports racist abuse from crowd

Liverpool match halted after Bournemouth's Semenyo reports racist abuse from crowd

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool's Premier League season-opening match against Bournemouth on Friday was briefly halted after visiting forward Antoine Semenyo reported getting racist abuse from the crowd.
Referee Anthony Taylor stopped play at a Liverpool corner in the 29th minute to address the incident, summoning both managers to the touchline for a briefing.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Bournemouth counterpart Adam Smith were then called over to the benches for further instructions before play resumed four minutes later.
Following halftime, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd at Anfield.
Semenyo, 25, went on to score twice after play resumed, helping his side to briefly level the score before Liverpool secured a 4-2 victory with a late surge.
"We're very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd," the FA said in a statement.
"Incidents of this nature have no place in our game, and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs, and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure that the appropriate action is taken.
Liverpool coach Arne Slot was upset about the incident.
"It is clear that we do not want this in football," he said. "We definitely don't want this at Anfield ... This should never happen in football, let alone at Anfield.
Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola added: "Straight away, Antoine and the referee told us. The person has been identified.
"It's a big shame that these things keep happening. It's the first game of the season, a lovely game of football, and I have to speak about these things happening."
The incident at Anfield follows reports of Tottenham Hotspur's French forward Mathys Tel being subjected to racist abuse on social media after missing a penalty in his team's Super Cup defeat by Paris St Germain on Wednesday.
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