No to racism! Preston player handed nine-match ban for racist abuse of Burnley footballer
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
Preston North End’s Milutin Osmajić has been handed a nine-match suspension for racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri during a Championship clash back in February. The decision was delivered by the English Football Association (FA) after a hearing conducted in September.
Details: The FA found Osmajić guilty of an “aggravated breach” for using offensive language referencing race or skin colour. The player has also been fined £21,000. The 26-year-old Montenegrin completely denied the allegations but was found guilty by the disciplinary commission.
Preston expressed “extreme disappointment” with the decision and announced that they will continue to support their player:
“We note that this decision is not a moral judgment and does not indicate any intent behind the actions. Milutin has always denied the accusations, and we continue to stand by him,” the club’s statement read.
The incident led to a brief halt in play, with Hannibal passionately appealing to referee Andrew Kitchen. Interestingly, just two weeks later, Osmajić scored against Burnley in the FA Cup and provocatively celebrated his goal in front of the opposing fans.
Currently, Preston sit fourth in the Championship and will sorely miss their main striker in the heated race for Premier League promotion.
Reminder: Burnley’s owners have acquired a controlling stake in Spain’s Espanyol.
