Jamie Carragher has been criticised for failing to condemn the alleged racial abuse directed at Antoine Semenyo in the immediate aftermath of the incident, despite labelling the incident ‘shocking’ at half-time.
The opening game of the season between Liverpool and Bournemouth last night was stopped during the first half after Cherries forward Semenyo reported a home supporter had racially abused him in the crowd at Anfield.
The alleged incident took place during the first half and Semenyo made referee Anthony Taylor aware of the comment, leading to the stoppage. Play was halted for several minutes while players, coaching staff and stadium officials held a discussion.
Merseyside Police later confirmed a hate crime investigation has been launched after a 47-year-old individual was ejected from the ground.
An anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd after the half-time whistle, and team-mates consoled Semenyo. The Premier League said it will investigate and has offered its ‘full support to the player and both clubs’.
Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury had confirmed the alleged incident was of a racial nature, but Carragher was criticised on social media for his initial response in the punditry booth, having twice not commented after the abuse was brought up.
Jamie Carragher has been criticised on social media for his immediate response to the alleged racial abuse directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo during their defeat by Liverpool
This Liverpool supporter in a wheelchair allegedly abused Semenyo during the first half
Semenyo reported the comment to the referee, leading to a stoppage lasting several minutes
One X user wrote: ‘Jamie Carragher flat out ignoring the Semenyo racial incident TWICE on commentary when Peter Drury has brought it up is pretty awful tbh.
‘Not a single word of condemnation.’
Another struck a similar tone, posting: ‘Jamie Carragher very vocal on the red card shout but absolutely silent on the claims of racism from his own fans?’
A third also said: ‘Jamie Carragher mentions every single move Chelsea make but silent on this Semenyo thing? That’s very interesting.’
Carragher and his Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville did discuss the incident during the half-time break, with the former describing it as ‘shocking’.
‘You can see everyone getting together, not quite sure what’s going on,’ Carragher said. ‘All the campaigns we have all across the world, it’s shocking. I mean, it’s a shocking incident and rightly reported to the referee.’
The alleged abuse was also on the agenda after the game, following a powerful interview with Bournemouth captain Adam Smith.
Neville said the incident was ‘despicable’ while Carragher posed the question of how clubs and the Premier League can police ‘one idiot in the crowd’.
Semenyo was consoled by players and coaching staff and has spoken out on the incident
‘Listen, I think there is a lot of good work that gets done up and down the country in terms of the football side of it,’ Carragher added.
‘I understand where Adam Smith is coming from, “these things aren’t working”… but it’s also one idiot in a crowd, how would you police that one person in a crowd?
‘Obviously, you just mentioned despicable. It makes it difficult if that’s from the Premier League, the Football League, the FA.
‘I’m not sure what more you can do if the fan gets banned for the season or gets banned for life. In terms of the racist abuse, we all know it’s a completely different thing from when I was on the terraces as a seven or eight-year-old kid.
‘It’s very difficult for the clubs, the FA, or the Premier League when it’s one idiot who comes out with that nonsense.’
Semenyo spoke out on the shocking incident for the first time on Saturday morning.
He wrote on X: ‘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.
‘To my @afcbournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the @LiverpoolFC players and fans who showed their true character, to the @premierleague officials who handled it professionally – thank you.
‘Football showed its best side when it mattered most.
‘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.’
