Gary Neville has condemned the racist abuse aimed at Antoine Semenyo during Bournemouth’s clash with Liverpool, calling the incident “disgusting” and a dark stain on what should have been a joyful night for football.
Liverpool opened their Premier League season with a 4-2 win at Anfield, but the match was stopped briefly in the first half after Semenyo reported abuse from the stands. Neville, working as a Sky Sports pundit, expressed deep disappointment that such behavior continues to surface in English football.
“This casts a shadow over what should have been an amazing evening. The first match of the Premier League season, a beautiful day, 62,000 fans in the stadium, and this guy was subjected to racist abuse and had to go to the referee to report it.
“It’s disgusting. I can’t even imagine what could come into someone’s mind to do that. Yet it happened, and unfortunately, it will continue to happen, which is tragic,” said the former Manchester United defender.
