In Preston, England, Burnley’s players opted not to engage in the customary pre-match handshake with Preston’s forward, Milutin Osmajic, during their FA Cup clash on Saturday. This decision was made in support of their teammate Hannibal Mejbri, who has accused Osmajic of directing racial abuse towards him in a recent encounter.
Mejbri condemned the comments he purportedly received as “disgusting,” while Osmajic’s team, following their February 15 second-division fixture, declared that the forward “strongly refuted the claims.” The Football Association (FA) is reportedly still conducting an investigation into the incident.
During Saturday’s match, as the traditional handshake ceremony unfolded, Burnley’s squad purposefully overlooked Osmajic, leading him to withdraw his extended hand upon grasping the situation. Osmajic went on to score a goal just before half-time and proceeded to provoke Burnley supporters through his goal celebration. Preston emerged victorious with a 3-0 win, advancing to the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Noticeably absent from Saturday’s lineup was Mejbri, an international player representing Tunisia. Earlier in the season, Osmajic was handed an eight-match suspension due to biting an opponent in a fervent contest between Preston and Blackburn. This incident occurred on September 22 when Osmajic admitted to biting Blackburn defender Owen Beck.
Post-match, Preston’s manager, Paul Heckingbottom, revealed he had held discussions with Osmajic concerning “potential things that were going to be said” during the game, indicating awareness of the previous controversy. “But he wanted to play. … It was, could he be professional enough to give us a performance? That was it, that’s what the conversation was about,” Heckingbottom stated. He emphasized that if he or Osmajic believed professionalism could not be upheld, Osmajic would not have participated in the game.
