Liverpool have denounced a banner which had been displayed by fans depicting Reds forward Divock Origi with an abnormally large penis, a racist stereotype which the club have called “highly offensive and inappropriate”.



The banner was unfurled by away fans at the Luminus Arena ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League group stage clash with Genk, and was removed by club officials following an online backlash on social media.



A Liverpool statement read: "Liverpool Football Club condemns the offensive banner displayed in our section of the ground, prior to kick off.



"To be clear, the image used perpetuated a racist stereotype. This is completely unacceptable."



The stereotype has its historical origins in the oppression of black men in America, an animalistic portrayal which was intended to show a sexual threat posed by African American men towards white women in particular.



The origin of the stereotype isn’t widely known, and some fans opted to defend the banner on social me…