Latest news with #Osmajic
New York Times
29-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Milutin Osmajic: The Preston forward banned for biting and now facing an FA racism charge
Those in his homeland of Montenegro know Milutin Osmajic as a fighter. He is the wild child from Niksic, a place his countrymen evocatively call 'the city of dare and steel'. 'It has tough areas,' says one person familiar with Osmajic's back story in Montenegro, speaking on the grounds of anonymity to protect working relations. 'So what you see on the pitch is the type of person he is off it. He is not afraid of anyone.' Advertisement English football, though, has begun to see Osmajic through a very different lens. Already banned for eight games this season for biting an opponent in September, the Preston North End forward is now facing a second Football Association (FA) charge for the alleged racist abuse of Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri in a Championship fixture last month. Osmajic has 'strongly denied' the allegations, but the controversies have been a subplot in Preston's best FA Cup run since 1965-66. The 25-year-old scored in the 3-0 win over rivals Burnley that has set up Sunday's sold out quarter-final at home to Aston Villa, and the collective refusal of opponents to shake his hand in that match told of the lingering ill-feeling. Preston have so far stood by Osmajic, continuing to make their record signing available for selection. A hip injury has kept him out of the team since March 4 but the expectation is for him to feature against Villa. That would be Osmajic's first appearance for club or country since his latest FA charge was served on March 17. Sources close to Osmajic — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships — insist he will not be fazed but his reputation, already tarnished by biting, will be on the line when an FA disciplinary committee hears his case next month. The social media message sent by Hannibal in the wake of Burnley's 0-0 draw at Preston in mid-February could hardly have been clearer. 'I will not be silent about what happened today,' wrote the former Manchester United midfielder. 'I will always call out racism whenever I hear or see it. That is the only way we change as a sport and a society. I am a strong person, but nobody should have to experience this disgusting abuse on the pitch.' Osmajic was not referenced, but the target of Hannibal's complaints was obvious. The Burnley midfielder had immediately reacted to something said by Osmajic during the game and complained to referee Andrew Kitchen. The match was then halted as Hannibal spoke with his manager Scott Parker on the touchline. Parker later said his player was 'hurt' and 'visibly very stressed' by what had been said. Preston said Osmajic had 'strongly refuted' the allegations in a post-match meeting with the match officials and the denials continued to the point of an FA charge this month. It will ultimately be an outcome based upon the evidence given by Osmajic and Hannibal. Preston privately believe there were no other witnesses close enough to hear what had been said and that TV replays of the incident are inconclusive. Advertisement Staff at his club believe it would be out of character for Osmajic, whose English is known to be poor, to use racist language. 'He's a bit intense but he's well-intentioned,' said one club source, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect their position. Disciplinary problems, though, have tended to follow Osmajic. He was removed from the Montenegro squad mid-camp in September 2022 for an unspecified breach of rules, though he has since returned to become a regular for his national team. The hope among those around Osmajic was that marriage and fatherhood had improved his behaviour and loans away from Spanish club Cadiz, who had signed him from Sutjeska Niksic in 2021, depicted a career on the up. A productive spell with Turkish club Bandirmaspor was followed by a move to Portuguese team Vizela, where his ability was noted by Preston. They saw a strong forward, well-equipped for the Championship. Failure to land previous loan star Tom Cannon, who opted to join Leicester City from Everton, led Preston to conclude a club-record transfer of just over £2million ($2.6m) to sign Osmajic from Cadiz at the end of the 2023 summer window. Such was the hurry and eagerness to land their man, the deal was signed off before Osmajic had even arrived in England due to the wait on a visa. A debut season was solid enough, with eight goals scored in 37 appearances, but improvements in Osmajic's second campaign have been overshadowed by his conduct. Events of September 22 were mindless. Blackburn's visit to Deepdale was a feisty goalless draw played out in front of live television cameras. Late in the contest, once Owen Beck had kicked out at Duane Holmes to earn himself a red card, Osmajic pursued his opponent and bit the top of his back. A red card was escaped, but the teethmarks on Beck's shoulder area shown to the officials afterwards would bring retrospective action. Advertisement The Football Association's disciplinary hearing outlined Osmajic's acceptance of the charge and contrition for biting Beck but included a curious direct quote from the forward in the subsequent written reasons. 'I did not think that I had bitten (Beck) as I had no intention of doing so.' The FA, perhaps predictably, was not buying it. They said video footage of the incident, seen by neither referee Matt Donohue nor assistant Matthew Jones at the time, did not support Osmajic's claims the bite had been unintentional. Quite the opposite, in fact. The disciplinary commission said Osmajic 'proactively sought to bite (Beck) in a manner that would be hidden from the view of the match officials; by grabbing (Beck) from behind and putting his head into (Beck's) back'. Although the eventual suspension did not match the 10 games given to Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for his bite on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, the eight-game ban and £15,000 fine meant Osmajic missed roughly a sixth of Preston's season. 'He knows he's let us down, let himself down, let me down, let the team down, let the fans down,' his manager Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire. Osmajic has returned to become Preston's leading goalscorer in all competitions, scoring eight times between the start of December and March. In that run, however, was the visit of Burnley and those allegations by Hannibal. Heckingbottom said Osmajic had been left 'upset' by the storm but was keen to remain in contention. That included the rematch with Burnley in the FA Cup fifth round two weeks later, a fixture where Scott Parker decided to leave Hannibal out of his matchday squad as a means of protection. Burnley's players refused to shake Osmajic's hand in the pre-match exchanges. 'The players decided that was a stance they were going to take. I was fully supportive of that when I found out,' said Burnley manager Parker in his post-match press conference. Advertisement Heckingbottom had given thought to leaving out Osmajic, only to stick with the forward after outlining the need to remain composed. The Montenegro international obliged, scoring the second of Preston's three goals and celebrating with cupped ears in front of the Burnley fans. Osmajic had still not been formally interviewed by the FA at that point, but any hope that the allegations would not lead to a charge was dismissed at the start of an international break where the player's injury had prevented him from joining up with Montenegro as planned. The 'aggravated breach' of the FA's rules alleged that the abusive or insulting language had included a 'reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race'. Preston responded by saying Osmajic 'continues to strongly deny the allegation', but the day of reckoning with the FA will shape their next moves on a player facing what Heckingbottom has repeatedly called 'a serious incident'. Osmajic will attempt to help Preston past Villa and on to Wembley for a first FA Cup semi-final in 61 years on Sunday, but a cloud still hangs heavy over his season.
The Independent
28-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Preston's Milutin Osmajic in contention for FA Cup quarter-final clash with Aston Villa amid racism charge
Preston forward Milutin Osmajic is in contention to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup quarter-finals, just days after being charged by the FA for alleged racist remarks towards Burnley 's Hannibal Mejbri. Osmajic saw the deadline to respond to the charges, initially set to March 25, extended ahead of the contest, freeing up the player to feature against Villa on Sunday. The alleged incident took place as Burnley and Preston played out a goalless draw in the Championship, with Mejbri stating after the game that he suffered 'disgusting abuse' from Montenegrin player. TV pictures showed Osmajic appear to say something to Mejbri which evoked an instant reaction from the former Manchester United prospect, immediately flagging the issue to referee Andrew Kitchen. "I will not be silent about what happened today. I will always call out racism whenever I hear or see it. That is the only way we change as a sport and a society," Mejbri wrote on social media. "I am a strong person but nobody should have to experience this disgusting abuse on the pitch." Burnley said Mejbri made Kitchen aware of the comment during the second half and the referee had registered the complaint. In a statement, Preston said Osmajic attended a meeting after the game with match officials and "strongly refuted the claims of a racist comment made towards Hannibal Mejbri". On March 17, the FA confirmed that Osmajic had been charged with acting in an improper manner under FA Rule E3 and had until the following 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." But after manager Paul Heckinbottom confirmed the deadline for Osmajic's response had been extended, the forward is now in prime position to play a part in Preston's quarter-final clash at Deepdale, with the club just one win away from a trip to Wembley. Osmajic has scored three goals in as many FA Cup appearances this season, including one in Preston's fifth round visit of Burnley - which was played just two weeks after the incident involving Mejbri. - but after scoring Preston's second in a 3-0 win, Osmajic ran to the opposition fans and cupped his ears in a controversial celebration.
The Guardian
28-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
FA Cup quarter-final team news: predicted lineups for the weekend
FA Cup (statistics from all competitions) Saturday 12.15pm ITV1/STV Venue Craven Cottage Referee Darren England This season G22 Y88 R4 4.18 cards/game Subs from Benda, Cuenca, Sessegnon, Diop, Cairney, Reed, King, Godo, Vinícius, Muniz, Tete, Wilson, Pereira Doubtful Robinson (knock) Injured Nelson (hamstring, 25 May), Tete (fitness, 1 Apr), Wilson (foot, 1 Apr) Suspended None Form WLWDLW Leading scorer Jiménez 12 Subs from Henderson, Matthews, Umeh, Ward, Clyne, Franca, Kamada, Devenny, Agbinone, Esse, Nketiah, Hughes, Chilwell, França, Kporha Doubtful Hughes (illness) Injured Riad (knee, unknown); Doucouré (knee, 1 Jun); Ward (unknown, unknown) Suspended None Form WLWWWW Leading scorer Mateta 15 Saturday 5.15pm BBC One Venue Amex Stadium Referee Peter Bankes This season G23 Y94 R2 4.17 cards/game Subs from Rushworth, March, Gómez, Gruda, Adingra, Rutter, Wieffer, Cashin, McGill, Ayari, O'Riley, Webster, Knight, Slater Doubtful Veltman (foot) Injured Igor (hamstring, 1 Jun), Kadioglu (toe, 25 May), Milner (hamstring, unknown), Steele (shoulder, 26 Apr), Lamptey (ankle, unknown) Suspended None Form WWWDWD Leading scorers Mitoma, Pedro, Rutter, Welbeck 8 Subs from Miguel, Boly, Morato, Omobamidele, Toffolo, Moreno, Ward-Prowse, Yates, Sosa, Silva, Sangaré, Hennessey, Danillo Doubtful Miguel (hamstring) Injured Wood (hip, 1 Apr) Suspended None Form LLDDWW Leading scorer Wood 18 Sunday 1.30pm BBC One Venue Deepdale Referee Chris Kavanagh This season G31 Y177 R6 5.90 cards/game Subs from Cornell, Evans, Hughes, Mawene, McCann, Potts, Osmajic, Carroll, Rodríguez-Gentile, Tarry Doubtful McCann (calf), Potts (hamstring), Osmajic (hip) Injured Whatmough (calf, 1 May) Suspended Greenwood, Ledson Ineligible Porteous (cup-tied), Kesler-Hayden (parent club) Form LWDLDW Leading scorer Osmajic 13 Subs from Olsen, Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Buendía, Jimoh, Barkley, Onana, Bailey, Malen, Kamara, Torres, Digne, Bogarde, Zych Doubtful Watkins (knee), Barkley (calf) Injured None Suspended None Ineligible Disasi (cup-tied) Form WLWWWW Leading scorer Watkins 14 Sunday 4.30pm ITV1/STV Venue Vitality Stadium Referee Stuart Attwell This season G23 Y92 R2 4.09 cards/game Subs from Travers, McKenna, Akinmboni, Silcott-Duberry, Winterburn, Rees-Dottin, Jebbison, Tavernier, Dennis, Sinisterra, Akinmboni, Araujo, Senesi Doubtful Senesi (thigh) Injured Unal (knee, unknown), Smith (muscle, unknown) Suspended Kerkez, Huijsen Form WLLDDL Leading scorer Kluivert 13 Subs from Carson, Wilson-Ebrand, McAtee, Perrone, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly, Ortega, Bobb, Nunes, Savinho, Kovacic, Marmoush Doubtful Bobb (fitness) Injured Rodri (knee, 1 Jun), Akanji (abductor, 26 Apr), Aké (foot, 18 May), Stones (thigh, unknown) Suspended None Form LLWWLD Leading scorer Haaland 29
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.'
Reuters
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Preston's Osmajic charged by FA following alleged racist comment
March 17 (Reuters) - Preston North End's Montenegro forward Milutin Osmajic was charged by the FA on Monday for an alleged racist remark towards Burnley's Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejbri last month. Mejbri complained to the referee after Osmajic made the alleged racist comment during the 0-0 Championship (second-tier) draw between the two sides at Deepdale on February 15. Preston said Osmajic strongly denies the allegation. "It's alleged that the forward acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards an opposing player..." the FA said in a statement announcing the charge. The FA added it was further alleged that this constituted an "aggravated breach" as it included a reference to colour or race. Preston acknowledged the charges and added that they would not be making further comment until the case has been concluded. "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," the club said in a statement. The 25-year-old Osmajic has until March 25 to respond.
