Burnley players refused to shake hands with Preston striker Milutin Osmajic before their FA Cup fifth-round match. This happened amid allegations that Osmajic had racially abused Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri during a Championship game on February 15.
Osmajic has denied the claims, but Burnley still chose to leave Mejbri out of their squad. Before kickoff at Deepdale, Osmajic attempted to shake hands with Burnley players but was ignored. After trying with a couple of players, he walked past the rest without further interaction.
During the game, Osmajic scored to give Preston a 2-0 lead and celebrated by cupping his hands to his ears towards Burnley fans before being surrounded by teammates.
Burnley manager Scott Parker explained that he left Mejbri out to shield him from pressure.
“I have to protect Hannibal,” Parker told BBC iPlayer before the match. “It was a tough call because he’s a key player, but I felt it was the best decision for him.”
Parker confirmed that Mejbri was fit but stressed that he did not want to put him in a difficult situation. “It was my choice. He was available, but given what happened last time, I decided to keep him out. We have another game on Tuesday.”
The Football Association (FA) is looking into the alleged incident between Osmajic and Mejbri. If found guilty, Osmajic could face a ban of at least six games.
Meanwhile, Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom backed his decision to play Osmajic. When asked if he believed in ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ he replied, “Yes, 100%.”
The FA’s investigation is ongoing, and both teams will be watching closely for the outcome.
