LIVERPOOL, England — Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo thanked his teammates, Liverpool’s players and the soccer community as a whole for the “overwhelming messages of support” he received after reporting he was racially abused by a spectator at Anfield.Merseyside Police said on Saturday that a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense. He was taken into custody to be interviewed.Police launched a hate crime investigation after ejecting a 47-year-old spectator from Anfield for his alleged racial abuse of Semenyo, who is Black, on Friday during the Premier League opener.“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 posted on Saturday on his social media.“The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.”The incident occurred when Semenyo reported abuse to referee Anthony Taylor in the first half with the score at 0-0. Play was briefly stopped while Taylor spoke to both coaches and captains.“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,” Semenyo wrote. “Football showed its best side when it mattered most.”The 25-year-old Ghana international scored both of Bourn …
