EFL player sparks brawl and two other red cards after being sent off for vicious headbutt

A headbutt from Preston striker Milutin Osmajic sparked a mass brawl in the final moments of their heavy defeat to Hull City.

Osmajic angrily reacted to a drag back from Hull midfielder John Lundstram, as the former turned violent and was sent off.

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The Montenegro international started things off with a two-handed push, sending Lundstram stumbling backwards.

Then, Lundstram walked back towards him with his arms out, before Osmajic appeared to completely see red.

As players started to surround them to break things up, the Preston frontman headbutted his opponent, sending Lundstram to the ground.

He would go on to receive a red card in the sixth minute of stoppage-time, with his side 3-0 down and seconds away from a loss.

A huge scuffle then broke out between the two teams, as things carried on on the touchline at Deepdale.

Players and coaching staff were involved as footage shows stadium security even stepping in to help split things up.

Two more reds were handed out by the referee following the brawl, with one member of staff from both teams getting sent off.

Preston’s first-team coach, Peter Murphy, is one to have been given his marching orders, while the other is not yet known.

Soon after the chaos had been cleared up and Osmajic had left the pitch, the final seconds of the game were played.

And Hull would come away 3-0 winners, making it three consecutive victories for the Tigers in all competitions.

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More controversy for Osmajic

Osmajic will be serving at least a three-match ban for his straight red card, with further action potentially to be taken.

He had only just returned at the start of January from a nine-match suspension, which was handed out following an FA investigation.

The 26-year-old was banned and fined £21,000 after being charged with racially abusing Burnley‘s Hannibal Mejbri.

It came after an incident that occurred in February last year, as Mejbri reported mid-game that Osmajic racially abused him.

An FA statement on the matter in November read: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Preston North End FC’s Milutin Osmajic for a proven breach of FA Rule E3.

“It was alleged that the forward had breached FA Rule E3.1 by acting in an improper manner and/or using abusive and/or insulting words towards a Burnley FC player during their EFL Championship fixture on Saturday, 15 February.

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“It was also alleged that this matter constitutes an ‘Aggravated Breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as the words included a reference – whether express or implied – to colour and/or race.

“Milutin Osmajic denied the charge against him, which the Regulatory Commission found to be proven, and it has imposed an immediate nine-match suspension, £21,000 fine and mandatory education course.

“The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for its decisions will be published in due course.”

That significant ban came after another long-term suspension that Osmajic received in October 2024.

He admitted to biting Blackburn loanee Owen Beck during a game and was later charged by the FA.

The striker was forced to sit out eight matches as punishment.