Liverpool Match Halted after Bournemouth's Semenyo Reports Racist Abuse from Crowd

Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 15, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot shakes hands with AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo after the match REUTERS/Peter Powell
Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 15, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot shakes hands with AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo after the match REUTERS/Peter Powell
TT

Liverpool Match Halted after Bournemouth's Semenyo Reports Racist Abuse from Crowd

Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 15, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot shakes hands with AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo after the match REUTERS/Peter Powell
Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 15, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot shakes hands with AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo after the match REUTERS/Peter Powell

Liverpool's Premier League season-opening match against Bournemouth was briefly halted on Friday after visiting forward Antoine Semenyo reported getting racist abuse from the crowd.

Referee Anthony Taylor stopped play at a Liverpool corner in the 29th minute to address the incident, summoning both managers to the touchline for a briefing.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Bournemouth counterpart Adam Smith were then called over to the benches for further instructions before play resumed four minutes later, Reuters reported.

Following halftime, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd at Anfield.

Ghana international Semenyo, 25, went on to score twice after play resumed, helping his side to briefly level the score before reigning Premier League champions Liverpool secured a 4-2 victory with a late surge.

"We're very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd," England's Football Association said in a statement.

"Incidents of this nature have no place in our game, and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs, and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure that the appropriate action is taken."

Merseyside Police said a 47-year-old man had been ejected from Anfield after reports of the racist abuse, adding that an investigation was under way.

Liverpool said they would fully support the police investigation.

"Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form," Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the game, said in a statement.

"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.

"There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action like we did this evening."

Liverpool coach Arne Slot was upset about the incident.

"It is clear that we do not want this in football," the Dutchman said. "We definitely don't want this at Anfield ... This should never happen in football, let alone at Anfield."

Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola said: "Straight away, Antoine and the referee told us. The person has been identified.

"It's a big shame that these things keep happening. It's the first game of the season, a lovely game of football, and I have to speak about these things happening."

The incident at Anfield follows reports of Tottenham Hotspur's French forward Mathys Tel being subjected to racist abuse on social media after missing a penalty in his side's UEFA Super Cup defeat by Paris St Germain on Wednesday.



F1 to Have Extra Test Day from 2027, Engine Tweaks Approved

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
TT

F1 to Have Extra Test Day from 2027, Engine Tweaks Approved

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo

Formula One teams will be allowed an extra day of pre-season testing from next year while agreed engine tweaks have now been formally approved, the sport's governing body said on Tuesday.

The current allocation of three days of testing has been increased to ⁠four due to ⁠the complexity of the cars, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said after its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) met in Macau.

According to Reuters, it ⁠added that the WMSC had ratified proposed changes "to rebalance the contribution of the Internal Combustion Engine and Energy Recovery System contribution across the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

"Updates include targeted adjustments to internal combustion engine output, fuel energy flow ⁠and ⁠energy recovery system deployment, together with increased flexibility in energy management."

The changes aim to allow more flat-out qualifying and less energy management after widespread driver complaints earlier this season that racing had become more artificial and also more dangerous.


England, Ghana Eye Last 32 as Portugal Look for Lift-off

England forward Harry Kane prepares for a Group L World Cup clash against Ghana. JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
England forward Harry Kane prepares for a Group L World Cup clash against Ghana. JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
TT

England, Ghana Eye Last 32 as Portugal Look for Lift-off

England forward Harry Kane prepares for a Group L World Cup clash against Ghana. JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
England forward Harry Kane prepares for a Group L World Cup clash against Ghana. JUAN MABROMATA / AFP

England will aim to become the latest of the World Cup big guns to book their place in the knockout rounds on Tuesday as Portugal attempt to kickstart their campaign after a lackluster opening draw.

A day after Argentina and France sailed into the last 32, England face Ghana in Group L knowing that victory will see them safely into the next phase of the tournament, said AFP.

England launched their campaign last week with a stylish 4-2 win over Croatia, a result that has given the Three Lions camp fresh belief as they chase a first major championship win in 60 years.

With captain Harry Kane scoring twice and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham netting, England midfielder Declan Rice believes Thomas Tuchel's squad should be a match for any team in the tournament.

Rice said Monday the challenge for England will be reproducing the swashbuckling attacking display that marked their second-half performance against Croatia.

"We know as players the level, we know what's required, and that second-half performance was probably the benchmark for us in terms of having to start the game at that level," Rice said.

"We believe that if we can do that from the opening minute, with the players that we also have to come on and finish the game, we can beat any opponent in the world.

"We want to be confident in our abilities and what we can do on the pitch."

England's German manager Tuchel meanwhile says his team are already embracing the pressure that comes with a World Cup campaign.

"There are emotions involved and you can at some point feel the tension and feel the pressure. I hope we can cope with it, accept it and turn it around," Tuchel said.

"I heard also a lot about it and I feel of course the excitement and the pressure, but I feel that we have so many winners and so many players who are experienced to cope with the pressure."

England though will be wary of the threat posed by Ghana's Antoine Semenyo, the London-born Manchester City winger who is the focal point of the Black Stars attack.

Ghana, 1-0 winners over Panama in their opener last week, can also qualify for the knockout rounds on Tuesday with a victory at Foxborough, just outside Boston.

- Portugal chase response -

Elsewhere, Portugal will attempt to draw a line under a turbulent first week of the tournament when they take on Uzbekistan in Houston.

Portugal arrived at the World Cup as one of the tournament favorites, boasting a team studded with flair players and spearheaded by veteran Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.

But Ronaldo's leaden performance in a faltering 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo renewed debate about the captain's place in the starting line-up.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has continued to offer staunch support of his 41-year-old captain, despite his failure to score in his last 10 matches at major tournaments.

"He's a good example for us, for all of us," Martinez said of Ronaldo.

"So he really wants to keep on improving, to contribute to the team, and he's really a role model for our team."

Martinez though stopped short of confirming Ronaldo will start against Uzbekistan when asked by reporters on Monday, saying he had not informed his players of the lineup.

Martinez said the disappointment Portugal felt after drawing with the DRC will be motivation against Uzbekistan, who are playing at a World Cup for the first time and will be heavy underdogs.

"The feeling of frustration that we all had as a team, the feeling of disappointment after the game, probably that's the best starting point to prepare for the next game," said the Spaniard.


Marquez Extends with Ducati Until 2028

Team Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez (L) competes to win the MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno, Czech Republic, on June 21, 2026. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP)
Team Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez (L) competes to win the MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno, Czech Republic, on June 21, 2026. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP)
TT

Marquez Extends with Ducati Until 2028

Team Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez (L) competes to win the MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno, Czech Republic, on June 21, 2026. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP)
Team Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez (L) competes to win the MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno, Czech Republic, on June 21, 2026. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP)

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has extended his contract with Ducati until 2028, the Italian manufacturer said on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Spaniard joined Ducati in 2024 and made a remarkable comeback the next year, winning his seventh MotoGP championship at the Japanese Grand Prix — his first since 2019.

This season began with a series of injuries, but Marquez soon returned to top form. ⁠He secured his 100th ⁠career victory across all classes with a commanding win at the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park earlier this month, less than a month after undergoing shoulder and foot surgery. He followed ⁠it up with victory at the Czech Grand Prix on Sunday.

"I'm red. I'm super happy with this new agreement with the Ducati Lenovo Team and to continue being part of this family," Reuters quoted Marquez as saying in a statement.

"With this renewal, they have once again reaffirmed this commitment, respecting my times and giving me the peace of ⁠mind ⁠I needed to make the right decision."

Marquez heads into this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix trailing championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by 40 points.

"I continue to compete because I love this sport and I want to achieve even more ambitious goals. I'm convinced this is the right place to do it. As long as I'm here, I'll give my all to paint the future red," he said.