Soccer player in England's second division suspended for biting opponent during ill-tempered game

PRESTON, England — A soccer player has been suspended for eight matches and fined 15,000 pounds (around $20,000) after biting an opponent during a heated match between Preston and Blackburn in England's second division.

Preston's Milutin Osmajic admitted to an act of violent conduct when biting Blackburn defender Owen Beck late in the game on Sept. 22.

Osmajic wasn't sent off for the incident, despite Beck appearing to tell referee Matt Donohue that he had been bitten.

The English Football Association said Friday the sanction was due to misconduct.

Blackburn manager John Eustace said at the time that Beck had been left shaken after his clash with Osmajic, who appeared to bite the back of his opponent's neck.

Preston and Blackburn are local rivals from the north of England and the bad-tempered game included one player from each team being sent off during the 0-0 draw. Beck was shown a red card for kicking out at Preston's Duane Holmes and it was in the angry reaction to that incident that the biting took place.

Preston said would not comment on the decision until written reasons for the punishment had been published.

“All I can say is that there’s no place for (biting),” Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said at the time of the incident. “Mistimed tackles, things like that are part and parcel of the game, you accept them, anything that is not has to be dealt with.”

Osmajic will not be available for selection until his team's game against Derby on Nov. 23.

Former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez was given a 10-match ban in 2013 for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

Suarez was then given a four-month ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.