Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has expressed gratitude towards Liverpool's players and supporters following racial abuse directed at him during Friday evening's Premier League fixture at Anfield.
The Ghana international posted on social media to acknowledge the solidarity shown by the football community after the disturbing first-half incident.
"Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever," the 25-year-old wrote. "Not because of one person's words, but because of how the entire football family stood together.
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"To my Bournemouth team-mates 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. Football showed its best side when it mattered most.
Anthony Taylor halted the match between Liverpool vs Bournemouth due to racism | Reuters"Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch. This is why I play - for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.
"The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together."
The match was temporarily suspended during the first half when Semenyo alerted officials to abusive language from a spectator whilst preparing for a throw-in.
Referee Antony Taylor halted proceedings for several minutes to inform managers Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola of the situation.
Merseyside Police confirmed a 47-year-old individual was identified and removed from the ground at half-time by three officers. An investigation has been launched into the incident.
Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton stated: "Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form. We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible."
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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk condemned the abuse as an absolute disgrace and called for continued efforts to educate younger generations about racism.
The Dutch defender acknowledged that initiatives such as taking the knee and anti-racism campaigns had failed to eliminate the problem entirely.
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The winger put the incident behind him to bag two brilliant goals as Bournemouth drew level | REUTERS"These things shouldn't happen but unfortunately it does and it is an absolute disgrace in my eyes," Van Dijk stated.
"The only thing we can do is deal with it by dealing with him personally and try to educate the next generation. That is the only way to try and kick it out, in my opinion."
Van Dijk confirmed he had spoken extensively with Semenyo, offering personal support alongside the club's response.
The forward's brilliant display proved his character, with the Bournemouth star arguably the best player on the pitch despite his side's defeat.