5 hours ago
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Burnley players declined to shingle hands with Preston striker Milutin Osmajic earlier their FA Cup fifth-round necktie amid a racism enactment betwixt the 2 clubs.
Osmajic was accused of racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri erstwhile the Lancashire rivals met successful the Championship connected 15 February.
Montenegro guardant Osmajic, who "strongly refuted" the allegations, was named successful Preston's starting XI for the necktie connected Saturday lunchtime, portion Hannibal was near retired of the Burnley squad entirely.
During the pre-match handshakes astatine Deepdale, nary of the Burnley players offered their hands to Osmajic, who was past successful the enactment of Preston players filing on the Clarets XI.
After attempting to shingle hands with a mates of Burnley players, Osmajic past walked on the remainder of the enactment without interacting with the opposition.
Osmajic past scored during the archetypal fractional to enactment Preston 2-0 up, and celebrated by taunting the distant fans with his hands cupped astir his ears earlier being embraced by his team-mates.
Before the game, Burnley manager Scott Parker confirmed Hannibal was acceptable but helium had chosen to permission retired the Tunisia midfielder to support him from the spotlight.
Parker told BBC iPlayer earlier kick-off: "As I said earlier successful the week successful the property conference, fundamentally I request to support Hannibal and making definite of the close decision.
"It has been a pugnacious determination and we travel present a spot weakened contiguous due to the fact that Hannibal is simply a vitally important subordinate of this squad, and I felt it was the champion determination for Hannibal.
"I wouldn't privation to enactment him successful a concern here, truthful we person made the determination for the champion for Hannibal. That is wherefore helium is not successful the matchday squad."
Asked whether the determination was made aft speaking with Hannibal, Parker said: "It was chiefly my decision. Hannibal was selectable contiguous but helium is simply a young lad that experienced thing present lone a fewer weeks agone and I conscionable made that determination to support him retired of present and we person different crippled connected Tuesday."
The Football Association (FA) is presently investigating the incidental betwixt Osmajic and Hannibal. If recovered guilty, Osmajic faces a minimum prohibition of six games.
Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said helium had not considered the thought of leaving Osmajic out. Asked astatine his pre-match media league whether helium was taking an attack of 'innocent until proven guilty', Heckingbottom replied: "Yes, precisely - 100%".
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