Premier League chief warns racist abuse to face ban, possible prosecution

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters issued a warning on Saturday that anyone guilty of racist abuse would be banned from stadiums and could face prosecution.

His comments came a day after Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo was the target of racist abuse during his side’s 4-2 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

“No 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,” Masters told BBC Sport.

“It is a problem for society. It leaks into football and it shouldn’t happen in a football stadium. It shouldn’t happen online.

“It makes people like me and other football people in charge of the game think twice about what else we can do to ensure that these things don’t happen in the future.

“If 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.”

Friday’s game was briefly halted in the 29th minute to address the incident, with referee Anthony Taylor 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.

Ghana international Semenyo went on to score twice after play resumed.

Merseyside Police confirmed that the 47-year-old man from Liverpool who was ejected after the incident had been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and taken into custody to be interviewed.

Semenyo thanked his teammates, Liverpool, match officials and the “entire football family” for their support in a statement on Saturday.

“Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever — not because of one person’s words, but because of how the entire football family stood together,” Semenyo wrote on Instagram.

The incident at Anfield followed reports of Tottenham Hotspur’s French forward Mathys Tel being subjected to racist abuse on social media after missing a penalty in his side’s UEFA Super Cup defeat by Paris St Germain on Wednesday.