Latest news with #MilutinOsmajic
The Independent
28-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Preston vs Aston Villa Prediction: North End To Make Villans Sweat
Villa to win by one goal - 3/1 Bet365 Asensio to score at any time - 19/10 Unibet Championship side Preston North End are the last non-Premier League side left in this season's FA Cup and their reward for reaching the last eight is a home tie against Aston Villa on Sunday (1.30pm, BBC 1). Most of a sold out Deepdale will be desperate to see an upset and betting sites price up a Preston win at 13/2 as two of the Football League's founder members meet in the competition for the first time since 1967. This will be the seventh FA Cup meeting between the two sides with three wins apiece for Preston and Villa, although you have to go back to January 1939 for the last time PNE won. This is a tournament they have history in though, winning it twice in 1889 and 1938 and reaching five more finals, although the last of those was 61 years ago. For Villa, the FA Cup has been one of many distractions this season. They are still in the Champions League and are pushing for a top-six finish in the Premier League. However, with the FA Cup draw having really opened up, there's a great opportunity for the Villans to win it for the eighth time, but the first for 68 years. Football betting sites have Villa as the second favourites to lift the trophy at 4/1 behind Manchester City, while you can get 150/1 on Preston to be celebrating in May. Preston vs Aston Villa Betting Preview: Villa to End The Fairytale It's been a season to forget as far as the league goes for Preston, who currently sit 14th in the table, 10 points off the top six and nine points off the bottom three so a cup run has been a nice distraction. They go into the game with four wins from their last 11 and two of those came in the FA Cup against League One side Wycombe Wanderers on penalties, following a goalless draw, and a 3-0 win over Lancashire rivals Burnley in the last round. They also beat Charlton Athletic to reach this stage, with Milutin Osmajic scoring twice in a 2-1 win. The Montenegrin has scored 13 goals for North End this season, but he is facing an FA charge after being accused of racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri. Villa have overcome two Premier League sides in West Ham and Tottenham, beating both 2-1, before seeing off Cardiff in the last round to reach the last eight for the first time since they went all the way to the final in 2015, only to be beaten 4-0 by Arsenal. They go into the game with four wins from their last four, including the double over Club Brugge who they beat 6-1 on aggregate to set up a Champions League quarter-final tie with Paris St-Germain. Preston are unbeaten in their last 15 games across all competitions at Deepdale, winning six and drawing nine, and they haven't conceded more than one goal in any match during this run, conceding nine overall. PNE will make it hard for the visitors, but if Villa are on their game, then they will have too much for the EFL side - the fact the game is being played on Sunday also benefits the Premier League side, as they have an extra day to get their international players back in training. Preston vs Aston Villa prediction 1: Villa to win by one goal - 3/1 Bet365 Preston vs Aston Villa Tips: Asensio to keep up his scoring run Villa loanee Marco Asensio has been involved in nine goals across his last seven starts in his league's primary cup competitions (Spanish Copa del Rey, Coupe de France and English FA Cup), with six goals and three assists. He scored both of Villa's goals in their 2-0 win over Cardiff in the fifth round and has been an excellent addition to the Villa side, scoring seven goals in his last five games. The 29-year-old had managed just two goals in 16 appearances for PSG this season and you wouldn't bet against him coming back to haunt his former club in the Champions League either. He's 13/2 to score first on some betting apps and 19/10 to score at any time. You can also get 1/1 on him to score or assist. Please gamble responsibly When having a bet, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Sports betting can be addictive so please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. It's particularly important not to get carried if you receive a casino bonus or any free bets you might receive, which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. If you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Milutin Osmajic charged by FA over alleged racist abuse of Hannibal Mejbri
The Preston forward Milutin Osmajic has been charged by the Football Association after an allegation of racist abuse. The incident took place during Preston's Championship match against Burnley on 15 February, where Osmajic was alleged to have made a racist comment towards the Clarets midfielder Hannibal Mejbri. On Monday, the FA confirmed that Osmajic had been charged with acting in an improper manner under FA Rule E3 and had until next Tuesday to respond. A statement on the FA website read: 'Milutin Osmajic has been charged with breaching FA Rule E3 at the Championship fixture between Preston and Burnley on Saturday 15 February. It's alleged that the forward acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards an opposing player contrary to FA Rule E3.1. 'It's further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach' which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it includes a reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race. Milutin Osmajic has until Tuesday 25 March to provide a response.' A heated exchange between Mejbri and Osmajic led to the Burnley player speaking with referee Andrew Kitchen and he continued playing until being substituted in the 71st minute. A statement on the Preston website acknowledged the FA's charge, adding that Osmajic continued to 'strongly deny' the allegations. 'Preston acknowledges the charges brought against Milutin Osmajic by the FA after last month's Championship fixture against Burnley,' the statement read. 'Milutin continues to strongly deny the allegations of the use of abusive language with reference to colour and/or race and will provide an official response to the FA charges in due course. Until such a time where the case has been concluded, the club will be making no further comment.'
The Independent
17-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Preston striker Milutin Osmajic charged by FA over alleged racist abuse
Preston North End forward Milutin Osmajic has been charged by the Football Association following an allegation of racist abuse. The incident took place during Preston's Championship clash with Burnley on 15 February, where Osmajic was alleged to have made a racist comment towards Clarets' midfielder Hannibal Mejbri. On Monday, the FA confirmed that Osmajic had been charged with acting in an improper manner under FA Rule E3 and had until next Tuesday to respond. A statement on the FA website read: "Milutin Osmajic has been charged with breaching FA Rule E3 at the Championship fixture between Preston and Burnley on Saturday 15 February. "It's alleged that the forward acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards an opposing player contrary to FA Rule E3.1. "It's further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach' which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it includes a reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race. "Milutin Osmajic has until Tuesday 25 March to provide a response." A heated exchange between Mejbri and Osmajic led to the Burnley player speaking with referee Andrew Kitchen and he continued playing until being substituted in the 71st minute. A statement on the Preston website acknowledged the FA's charge, adding that Osmajic continued to "strongly deny" the allegations. "Preston acknowledges the charges brought against Milutin Osmajic by the FA following last month's Championship fixture against Burnley," the statement said. "Milutin continues to strongly deny the allegations of the use of abusive language with reference to colour and/or race and will provide an official response to the FA charges in due course. "Until such a time where the case has been concluded, the club will be making no further comment."
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Preston's Osmajic charged after Hannibal allegations
Preston striker Milutin Osmajic has been charged by the Football Association after being accused of racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal FA has been investigating the incident which is alleged to have happened during the 0-0 draw at Deepdale last has now charged Osmajic and the Montenegrin has until 25 March to respond.A statement read: "It's alleged that the forward acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards an opposing player contrary to FA Rule E3.1."It was further alleged it constituted an "aggravated breach" as it includes "a reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race".More to follow.
New York Times
28-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Preston v Burnley, a bog-standard English fixture or… football's ultimate heritage match?
On the face of it, Preston North End versus Burnley seems like a bog-standard Championship fixture. Since the start of the 21st century, the clubs have met 26 times in the second tier of English football, making it one of the division's most regular encounters. Such a sense of routine was supported by the outcomes in two league fixtures this season, with meetings at Turf Moor in October and Deepdale earlier this month finishing in goalless draws. Advertisement The BBC wrote of 'a typically frantic and feisty Lancashire derby' in February — that game has subsequently led to an investigation by the Football Association following claims of an alleged racist comment by the Preston forward Milutin Osmajic (Osmajic 'strongly refuted' the claims, Preston said) — but it was otherwise only notable because the visiting team extended their remarkable record of consecutive clean sheets to 11. GO DEEPER Watching Burnley: The team that don't concede goals, and could coax JJ Watt out of retirement They meet again at the same venue this weekend, only something is unusual about the tie because it is the first time the rivals have met in the FA Cup, the oldest cup competition in the world. What makes that especially strange is the fact Preston and Burnley have met on 141 occasions since becoming two of the founding members of the Football League, playing each other on the opening weekend of a newly-launched competition on September 8, 1888. To put that in a broader historical context, Preston and Burnley is a story nearly as old as Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of one of the most famous political dynasties in the history of the United States, who was born two days before one of the most seismic moments in English football. Preston versus Burnley is, however, older than the public elevator in the Washington Monument, which was opened for the first time in October 1888. Amid these events, the British media was consumed by a series of murders in the east end of London. Nineteen days after Preston blew Burnley away at Deepdale, a letter in red ink which began with 'Dear Boss' was delivered to the capital's Central News Agency, allegedly by the perpetrator of the crimes. Its sign-off led to the birth of Jack the Ripper, whose identity has never been discovered. Preston versus Burnley is even older than some of football's principal rules. It was only in November 1888 that a points system was devised by the game's authorities, with two for a win and one for a draw. Two months before that, Preston's five goals to Burnley's two did not appear to matter that much because positions were merely calculated 'from wins, draws, and losses'. Advertisement On the same day Preston hosted Burnley for the first time, Merseyside had not been created. Liverpool was instead in Lancashire, a county Accrington crossed to meet Everton at Anfield. Within three years, a rent dispute sent them to Goodison Park and Liverpool FC was formed. Sixty miles south of Preston, Stoke's defeat at home by West Bromwich Albion would be the first of 152 meetings to date. Of the founding members, these clubs are more familiar with one another, yet Preston versus Burnley should surely be considered the ultimate heritage fixture. While geography matters (Preston is 21 miles from Burnley and Stoke is 39 miles from West Bromwich), it is surely the turbulence of history that matters most: after Preston marked the inaugural season by going the whole year unbeaten, earning them the tag of 'Invincibles', both clubs have subsequently enriched English football's four levels, winning titles in each (though Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers share the same record, they entered the pyramid at later dates and little else connects them). While Preston considers Blackpool its primary regional rival and Blackburn takes that role for Burnley, these derbies are less common than Preston and Burnley, who have played each other 50 times in the second tier and 60 in the first. Yet it has more recently been a fourth-tier fixture — both clubs tumbled out of the third tier in 1985 and Preston were the first to heave themselves back two seasons later. In the space of 24 years, Preston and Burnley went from being a top-flight fixture to a bottom-tier one. In September 1960, Burnley completed a league double over Preston, who were relegated at the end of the campaign and have never returned, a theme explored recently in this article about Deepdale's history by The Athletic's Daniel Taylor. Advertisement For the time being, Burnley seem to be the more upwardly-mobile club, having had three spells in the Premier League this century (the longest between 2016 and 2022), while Preston have remained in the Championship for all but a single campaign (when they were relegated to League One in 2011). 'I suppose we do to some degree,' says Paul Vincent, a season-ticket holder at Deepdale, when he is asked whether Preston supporters look across with jealousy at what has happened at Turf Moor, a venue which has witnessed promotions to the top flight as recently as 2023. 'But they need to remember, Preston is historically a more significant club.' Except, that is difficult to measure. Preston and Burnley both have two top-flight titles (Burnley's is more recent), and it could be argued that both of Preston's were easier to win given the last of those was in 1890 when there were just 12 teams in the league. Burnley finished those campaigns fourth from bottom and second to bottom, only retaining their status through reelection. Preston also have two FA Cups to Burnley's one but what Vincent is really digging at is the presence of Tom Finney in Preston's history, one of English football's greatest players and goalscorers. While some historians with a deeper understanding of each club's past credit Preston with being pioneers in lots of different ways, scandal is linked to their success. The team's manager and secretary in the late 1880s, William Sudell, was a local accountant and mill owner. 'His approach to recruitment, tactics and team selection was the major factor in Preston's early success,' wrote John Williams in his book about the making of the British game, Football in the Wind and Rain. The league's top scorer in that first season, for example, was John Goodall, a forward who signed for Preston when he seemed destined for Bolton Wanderers. Instead, Suddell hatched a plan to bundle him into a taxi, which sent him to the nearest station, arriving at Preston via Blackburn. Sudell was a determined figure who used chess pieces on snooker tables to try to explain his complex game plans. Yet he also secretly provided new signings, particularly those relocating from Scotland, with minor but well-paid jobs in his mill. This was before professionalism had been officially sanctioned. Williams suggests rival club directors 'often asked how he, and Preston, a modest north-west town, could possibly afford the salaries of so many Scottish imports'. Advertisement After resigning in 1892, Preston were relegated in 1894. A year later, Sudell was convicted of embezzling thousands of pounds from his mill, funding Preston's lavish wages and expenses. 'It was one of English football's original financial scandals,' wrote Williams. The fraud of nearly half a million pounds in today's money resulted in a three-year prison sentence for Sudell. Burnley have more recently been champions of England (in 1960 — Preston finished ninth that season before relegation in 1960-61, their last appearance in the top flight) but that achievement would probably not have been possible without the investment of a local butcher turned chairman, Bob Lord. Another controversial figure who banned official supporters' groups because he thought they would want to seize his power, as well as journalists who challenged him, Lord still has a stand named after him at Turf Moor despite making anti-semitic comments in 1974 when he was still running the club. The presence of figures like Sudell and Lord remind us that if Preston versus Burnley is the ultimate heritage fixture, it is not necessarily the most innocent one.
