The opening game of the 2025/26 English Championship on Friday, between Liverpool and Bournemouth, at the Anfield Stadium, had the first half interrupted for a few minutes after Ghanaian striker Antoine Semenyo of the visiting team reporting to referee having heard racist offenses from a fan.
On 29 minutes, when Liverpool was preparing to charge a corner, referee Anthony Taylor paralyzed the match and went to the sideline to talk to both technicians. Liverpool’s Captains Van Dijk and Bournemouth Adam Smith were also called to be informed of what happened. The game was resumed four minutes later, with the score 0-0 – the match ended with victory of the home owners 4-2.
As soon as the ball rolled again, the stadium’s sound system read an anti -discrimination message to the public. The action followed the protocol against the racism adopted by the Premier League, which reported that the incident will be investigated.
“Racism has no place in our sport, nor anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure that our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all,” published the official profile of the competition on social network X (former Twitter).
Liverpool’s debut was also marked by a minute of silence in honor of players Diogo Jota and André Silva, killed in a traffic accident on July 3. A mosaic with the initials and numbers used by the athletes was extended in the stands, while the crowd sung the traditional “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
This season, Liverpool players will use the “Forever 20” emblem on the shirts. The club decided to retire Jota’s number 20 shirt at all levels, including the women’s team and the base, after consultation with the family.
In the 20 minutes and 20 seconds of the game, the Amphield fans got up to applaud and sing a song to Diego Jota to the sound of the “Bad Moon Rising” melody by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
