The Football Association is examining claims that Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri was racially abused by a Preston player during their Championship fixture on Saturday.
The midfielder said he received “disgusting abuse” from Milutin Osmajic during the 0-0 draw, and submitted a complaint to the match officials. Preston said Osmajic had “strongly refuted the claims” in a meeting with the match officials after the full-time whistle.
The incident is alleged to have occurred midway through the second half of the stalemate, when Osmajic was involved in a heated verbal exchange with Mejbri. The Burnley player informed the referee, Andrew Kitchen, of the incident and later posted on social media: “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.”
Preston said in a statement: “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.”
The FA, which must decide whether to bring charges, confirmed it was looking into the claims.
Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination organisation, said: “When allegations occur, reporting them immediately and through the right channels helps them be addressed. Hannibal deserves credit for bringing the incident to the referee’s attention. Speaking up takes huge courage. We also commend the officials for following the correct protocols. We expect an investigation to be carried out swiftly and sensitively.”
