Semenyo believes there should be greater consequences for racist abusers. Antoine Semenyo has urged football authorities to consider prison sentences and lifetime stadium bans for perpetrators of racist abuse after he was targeted during Bournemouth’s Premier League opener against Liverpool on Friday, 15 August. What’s the gossip? The match was briefly halted in the first half when Semenyo reported the discriminatory abuse to referee Anthony Taylor. Liverpool condemned the incident and, along with Bournemouth and the match officials, offered support to the Ghana international. Merseyside Police later arrested a 47-year-old man from Liverpool the following day Saturday, August 16, and said the suspect had been removed from the ground once identified. The force later noted the individual was conditionally bailed as enquiries continue. Semenyo later revealed he was subjected to further abuse on social media, an increasingly common and pernicious extension of racist behaviour around football. What Semenyo said Speaking days later, Semenyo admitted that current measures “aren’t enough,” adding that “there has to be something else” to act as a real deterrent. In an interview with ITV News, the 25-year-old star described the experience as “pretty painful” and “mind-boggling,” insisting that stronger sanctions are needed to match the zero-tolerance rhetoric displayed across the game. 'It was pretty sad to hear to be honest, I feel like in this day and age us players are still getting racially abused and it just doesn't make sense. ‘We just want to know why it keeps happening.’ Pressed on what the maximum penalty should be, Semenyo replied that it “could be jail time” or a lifetime ban from stadiums. When asked what that punishment should be, Semenyo replied: 'Could be jail time, it could be banned from stadiums for life, it could be anything along the lines of that but I feel like there has to be something else done.' After opening his account for the season with an impressive brace against Liverpool, Semenyo is expected to return to action for the Cherries when they play hosts to Wolves later today, at the Vitality Stadium.