The FA has launched an investigation into an incident involving Milutin Osmajic of Preston North End, who allegedly bit Liverpool loanee Owen Beck during a heated clash with Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.
The match, which ended in a goalless draw, saw Beck involved in a controversial moment where Osmajic appeared to bite him during a physical confrontation.
Footage from the game shows Osmajic leaning towards Beck’s neck in what looked like a biting action, though the match officials didn’t seem to catch the incident. Beck, who was later sent off in the 89th minute for a separate incident, reacted in shock, immediately confronting Osmajic and showing visible bite marks to the assistant referee. Despite his protests, Osmajic only received a yellow card for dissent, suggesting the referee had missed the alleged bite entirely.
The FA’s inquiry will likely look into the video footage to determine whether disciplinary action should be taken against Osmajic. To understand what kind of punishment could be on the horizon, it’s useful to compare with previous biting incidents in football, particularly those involving Luis Suarez.
Suarez’s first biting offence in 2010, while playing for Ajax, led to a seven-match ban after he bit PSV’s Otman Bakkal. Three years later, while playing for Liverpool, Suarez bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, which earned him a 10-game suspension.
His most infamous incident came during the 2014 World Cup when he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, resulting in a four-month ban from all football-related activities and a nine-match international suspension.
Given this is Osmajic’s first such incident, any potential ban is more likely to mirror the seven-game punishment Suarez received for his first offence.
After the match, Blackburn boss John Eustace expressed his disappointment, revealing that Beck had shown his teammates the bite mark in the dressing room. “He’s got a big bite mark on the back of his neck. It’s a real shame the referee didn’t spot it,” Eustace commented.
He added that Beck was shaken by the incident: “He’s a bit quiet in there and understandably upset. Nobody expects to be bitten during a game. It’s not a situation anyone wants to face, but I’m sure the right authorities will review it and take appropriate action.”
The FA’s investigation is ongoing, and any punishment for Osmajic will likely depend on the review of video evidence and further testimony.
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