A 71-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo during the 3-3 draw at Everton on Monday. Merseyside police acted after supporters and stewards reported the incident at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The suspect has been bailed with conditions, including a restriction preventing him from entering within one mile of any designated sports stadium for up to four hours before kick-off, during matches, and up to four hours after the final whistle.
Everton issued a statement saying: “A swift response from fellow supporters, stewards and Merseyside police led to the individual being identified and appropriate action taken. The club will continue to work closely with the authorities to support their investigation and will take the strongest possible action in line with its zero-tolerance approach.”
Manchester City condemned the racist abuse and revealed that teammate Marc Guéhi was also subjected to racist abuse online. The club said: “We are also incredibly disappointed to hear that Marc Guéhi was subject to a series of vile racist social media posts last night. We will continue to offer our full support to both Antoine and Marc and never accept discrimination of any kind in our game.”
Semenyo was previously targeted while playing for Bournemouth against Liverpool at Anfield last August. Mark Mogan, 71, of Dovecot, Liverpool, pleaded not guilty to an offence of racially aggravated disorderly behaviour against the forward. His trial at Liverpool magistrates court was adjourned for a psychiatric report to assess his fitness to stand trial.
