{"id":91020,"date":"2025-08-23T06:42:57","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T06:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=91020"},"modified":"2025-08-23T06:42:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T06:42:57","slug":"semenyo-wants-jail-and-life-bans-as-racist-abuse-punishments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=91020","title":{"rendered":"Semenyo wants jail and life bans as racist abuse punishments"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo says more should be done to tackle racism in football, including possible prison sentences for those convicted of abuse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Semenyo reported that he was racially abused by a spectator during his side\u2019s 4-2 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on the opening day of the Premier League season.<\/p>\n

The match was briefly paused while referee Anthony Taylor explained the allegations to both teams\u2019 managers and captains.<\/p>\n

Speaking to ITV News,,\u00a0external\u00a0the 25-year-old said \u201cthere has to be something else\u201d that authorities can do.<\/p>\n

Merseyside police arrested a 47-year-old man from Liverpool on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He appeared in court and is now\u00a0barred from every football stadium\u00a0in the UK as part of his bail conditions.<\/p>\n

When asked what a maximum punishment should be for anyone convicted of racial abuse, Semenyo said: \u201cIt could be jail time, it could be banned from stadiums for a lifetime, it could be anything along the lines of that, but I feel like there has to be something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Semenyo scored twice during the second half against Liverpool, after reporting his concerns to the referee.<\/p>\n

He said footballers cannot understand why incidents of racism in stadiums have been so widespread, adding that they \u201cwant to know why it keeps happening\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Ghana international also said he was racially abused online immediately after the match at Anfield.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone has felt the need to come online and do that, so that made me angry, to be honest. Why would you want to do that?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When asked if he thought the publicity around the incident would deter other supporters from making racist remarks, he said: \u201cI hope it does, but if it doesn\u2019t then it just shows that what the Premier League is doing is not enough and that more needs to be done. So I hope it does.\u201d<\/p>\n

A day after Semenyo reported the alleged abuse at Anfield, Premier League chief executive\u00a0Richard Masters told BBC Sport\u00a0the authorities would keep pushing to banish racism from the game.<\/p>\n

Masters said: \u201cIf you are found to be using discriminatory language inside a football ground you will be ejected, second you will be banned and third you may face criminal charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Premier League footballer should ever have to, in their workplace or online, suffer that sort of abuse. It is important that we keep saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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