Burnley players refused to shake hands with Milutin Osmajic before kick-off in their FA Cup fifth-round tie against Preston following the alleged racist abuse of Hannibal Mejbri before the striker taunted fans after scoring
Burnley players refused to shake hands with Preston North End ace Milutin Osmajic ahead of their FA Cup clash following racism allegations before the striker taunts fans after goal
Osmajic has been accused of racially abusing Clarets midfielder Hannibal Mejbri during their goalless Championship encounter two weeks prior. The Montenegro international has denied these claims, with Hannibal branding his comments as “disgusting”, and the Football Association currently investigating the matter.
In a show of unity, Hannibal’s teammates made a statement by withdrawing their hands from Osmajic as the teams carried out their customary pre-match handshakes before kick-off. However, Osmajic had the last laugh on the pitch, scoring just before the break to make it 2-0 in Preston’s 3-0 win, as the Lilywhites reached the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1966.
After doubling Preston’s lead, Osmajic provocatively cupped his ears and shouted towards the away supporters in celebration. His goal followed Robbie Brady’s opener for Preston, with Will Keane later sealing a 3-0 victory.
The incident that sparked the controversy was caught on camera during last month’s match, showing Osmajic speaking to Hannibal in the 56th minute, prompting the midfielder to approach referee Andrew Kitchen and request a stoppage in play.
After the match, Mejbri took to social media to shed light on the incident, stating: “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. I am a strong person but nobody should have to experience this disgusting abuse on the pitch. “
In response, Preston issued a statement saying: “Preston North End are aware of a complaint that has been made by Hannibal Mejbri and Burnley FC to today’s match officials with regards to an allegation of a comment made by Milutin Osmajic during today’s Sky Bet Championship fixture at Deepdale.
“Milutin Osmajic has strongly refuted the claims of a comment made towards Hannibal Mejbri in a post-match meeting with today’s match officials. The club would like to thank the match officials for the way they have handled the issue and will assist with the investigation until a conclusion has been found. No further comment will be made at this time. “
Burnley also released a statement, saying: “Burnley Football Club is aware of an alleged comment made to Hannibal by Milutin Osmajic during our game against Preston North End which was reported to officials both during and after the game.
“During the second-half Hannibal made referee Andrew Kitchen aware of the comment who has registered the complaint. The Club would like to thank the officials for their professional handling of the incident.
“The Club will continue to show its complete support to Hannibal and there will be no further comment made until the investigation has been completed. “
Mejbri joined Burnley from Manchester United last summer. The Tunisia international has played 28 times for Burnley so far this season. Meanwhile, Osmajic has scored 13 goals for Preston in 31 games this campaign.