Calls for tougher punishments for racist football fans
AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo thinks prison sentences could be appropriate
AFC Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo believes prison sentences could be appropriate for those found guilty of racially abusing footballers.
He reported an incident of alleged racial discrimination by a supporter during his side's Premier League curtain-raiser against Liverpool last week.
A 47-year-old man was subsequently arrested and released on bail on suspicion of an aggravated public order offence and has been banned from any regulated football match in the UK as part of his bail conditions.
In his first interview on the matter, Semenyo told ITV News the available sanctions should be even more severe.
"It could be jail time, it could be banned from stadiums for a lifetime, it could be anything along the lines of that, but I feel like there has to be something else," he said.
"I'm speaking out for all players: if it does happen, make sure that the maximum punishment is something that happens. Those (anti-racism) campaigns, they've worked for a while but for the long term it hasn't really worked. I feel like something else needs to be done."