Liverpool have released a statement condemning racist abuse towards Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after the two teams played out a dramatic 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.
Players on both sides clashed after full time at Goodison Park after an altercation between Doucoure and Curtis Jones, who accused the Everton star of provoking Liverpool fans.
A joint statement from both clubs read: “Liverpool FC and Everton FC are aware of – and condemn in the strongest possible terms – racist abuse received by Abdoulaye Doucoure following Wednesday night’s Merseyside derby. Such abuse is reprehensible and will not, and should not, be tolerated.
Together, the two clubs will work with Merseyside Police, who are conducting an investigation with the aim of identifying the individuals responsible. We also encourage people who witness or experience online abuse to report and highlight it to the social media platforms on which it appears.
While Doucoure has not shared the racist abuse he has received, he posted a picture of him celebrating the win with the caption “GOODISON PARK”. The post was flooded with comments, with several accounts posting a flurry of monkey, ape and banana emojis.
After the game, captain Virgil van Dijk backed up Jones’ initial complaint that Doucoure had “provoked” fans by celebrating in front of them.
The Liverpool captain said: “We saw how they celebrated the goal… they wanted to provoke our fans. Curtis didn’t think that was the right thing to do… I think the ref didn’t have the game under control in my opinion. I said it to him.”
Everton boss David Moyes, meanwhile, said he was “disappointed” that Doucoure was sent off as his squad was short on numbers. He said: “The bit after the game, I could tell you about it but the truth is it’s not really what we should be talking about.
