A 71-year-old man was arrested for alleged racist abuse directed at Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo during a Premier League match, as reported by Everton on Tuesday.
The Merseyside Police took the man into custody on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offense, following reports from fans and staff at Hill Dickinson Stadium regarding the incident on Monday.
“Racism and discrimination in any form are completely unacceptable,” Everton stated.
Manchester City expressed appreciation for “the swift action taken by Everton and the police to identify the individual responsible.”
This isn’t the first incident for Semenyo, who experienced a similar situation at a previous Premier League match in Liverpool while playing for AFC Bournemouth during the season opener.
The Black Ghana international alleged that he faced racial abuse from a Liverpool fan while getting ready to take a throw-in during Bournemouth’s 4-2 defeat at Anfield in August. The match was temporarily halted to escort the offender from the stadium, and he is scheduled to appear in court later this year.
Additionally, Manchester City condemned online racial abuse directed at defender Marc Guéhi following the 3-3 draw on Monday.
“We will continue to fully support both Antoine and Marc and will never accept any form of discrimination in our sport,” the club emphasized.