Incident comes after the winger reported being racially abused during the opening game of the season while playing for Bournemouth against Liverpool
Manchester City have pledged their support for Antoine Semenyo after the forward revealed he has again been subjected to racist abuse online.
Semenyo shared a screenshot of an abusive message on social media earlier this week, writing: “It’s started again.” The incident is only the latest in a series of episodes of abuses the 26-year-old has faced this season.
The Ghanaian previously reported being racially abused during the opening game of the season while playing for Bournemouth against Liverpool. The match was briefly halted by the referee after the incident occurred.
Semenyo later shook off the event and scored twice in the game to pull his side level, although Bournemouth ultimately lost 4-2. The incident led to legal action, with a 47-year-old man charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. The case is set to go to trial later this month.
The Premier League has condemned the incident and reiterated its commitment to tackling discrimination.
“We are appalled at the unacceptable online racist abuse targeted at Antoine Semenyo and have offered our support to the player and club,” said a spokesperson for the league. “Racism has no place in our game or anywhere in society. It is clear that more needs to be done to address this issue and we will work alongside clubs, football bodies, law enforcement and social media companies to ensure this remains a priority for all.
“Any individuals identified and found guilty of discrimination will face the strongest possible consequences, including custodial sentences, football banning orders and criminal records.”
