Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic is expected to face an extended suspension after accepting a violent conduct charge from the FA.
The Montenegrin forward was charged after allegedly biting Blackburn Rovers defender Owen Beck on the back of the neck during last month’s Lancashire derby. The incident occurred in a chaotic moment at the end of the game, which also saw Beck, a Welsh international, receive a red card before his confrontation with Osmajic. While Osmajic was initially shown a yellow card, the FA later issued a retrospective charge, which the striker has now reportedly accepted. He had until September 30 to respond.
In a statement to talkSPORT, Preston director Peter Ridsdale confirmed the player’s response, saying, “Milutin Osmajic has responded within the time frame as is appropriate and he has accepted the charge that the FA have put to him.” “He has accepted the charge that the FA put to him which was that he was seen to bite the opposing player in the game against Blackburn Rovers.”
Ridsdale also hinted that Osmajic had faced internal disciplinary measures from the club in addition to any FA sanction. “We’ve already indicated to the player what we’re doing. I want to keep that obviously in-house but you can be assured that that’s not something that we condone as a football club and we’ve taken appropriate action.”
The FA has a history of imposing long bans for biting incidents, so Osmajic may be sidelined from Preston’s squad for a significant period. In 2013, former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for ten games for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. Similarly, midfielder Joss Labadie faced two separate biting incidents, receiving a ten-game ban while at Torquay United and a six-month suspension for a later offense at Dagenham and Redbridge.
Despite the charge, Osmajic has remained part of the Preston squad. He came off the bench in their recent loss to Millwall and remains eligible to play in Wednesday’s game against Watford, pending any forthcoming punishment.
Our View
This situation seemed inevitable, and Osmajic’s decision to accept the charge was a logical one given the clear footage of him biting Beck. It seems likely that he will receive a substantial ban, possibly sidelining him for several months.
In addition to the FA suspension, Osmajic has already been disciplined by the club and may find it difficult to regain his place in the team. The incident has drawn widespread criticism, and his absence will likely be a significant blow to Preston, especially with few attacking options to fill the gap. Both Osmajic and the club could face serious consequences from this incident.
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