A 47-year-old man has been accused of racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during their Premier League game against Liverpool.
Mark Mogan, of Dovecot, Liverpool, has been charged with a racially aggravated Section 5 Public Order during the match which took place at Anfield on Friday 15 August.
Mogan has been granted conditional bail and will next appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Monday, December 22.
Semenyo reported being racially abused by a spectator during the opening game of the Premier League season to referee Anthony Taylor, who stopped play in the 29th minute and a man was ejected from Anfield.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola were spoken to by referee Taylor when the incident occurred, leading to play being suspended.
“I am told via the Premier League Match Center that Antoine Semenyo was the subject of a racist comment from the crowd,” Sky Sports’ Peter Drury reported at the time in a commentary.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher called the incident “despicable”, with Neville saying: “It overshadows what should be a great night; the first day of the Premier League season, a beautiful day and that boy has [reported being] racially abused.
“It’s despicable. But it’s happened. It’s going to keep happening. It’s sad.”
Kick It Out CEO Hollie Varney praised Semenyo for his reaction to the situation and the way it was handled by the Bournemouth striker during the match.
“The way Semenyo responded was amazing,” Varney said Sky Sports news. “It was incredibly inspiring. The action needs to be led by the football authorities and those in charge; it shouldn’t be up to the players to solve the problems.
“He should not expect the abuse to happen just to go to work. What we would like to see is a coherent framework for how we deal with abuse and the consequences that are carried out.
Semenyo said the reaction to the incident showed football was at its best “when it mattered most”. The incident was strongly condemned by representatives of both teams, while the Premier League said it would launch a full investigation.
Semenyo, who scored twice as Liverpool claimed a 4-2 victory, wrote on social media: “Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever – not because of one person’s words, but because of how the whole football family stood together.
“To my Bournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true character, to the Premier League officials who handled it professionally – thank you. Football was at its best when it mattered most.
“Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that really matters on the pitch. That’s why I play – for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.
“The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward together.”