Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has removed all pictures related to his club from his Instagram account after the Serie A side posted a video on their official TikTok account that appeared to mock him for missing a penalty. The Nigerian forward, who helped Napoli win their first league title in three decades last season, was visibly upset when he was substituted by manager Rudi Garcia in the goalless draw against Bologna on Sunday.
The video, which was later deleted, showed a clip of Osimhen’s penalty miss with a distorted voice-over that seemed to ridicule him. Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, said the video was “not acceptable” and caused “very serious damage to the player”. He added that they reserved the right to take legal action and any other initiative to protect Osimhen.
The incident has sparked outrage among Napoli fans and football pundits, who criticised the club for their lack of respect and professionalism. Some have also speculated that Osimhen might be looking for a way out of Napoli, as he has not signed a new contract despite talks ongoing since the end of the 2022/23 season. Osimhen was linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, but the deal did not materialise.
Napoli have not issued any official statement or apology regarding the video, and it is unclear whether they will face any sanctions from the Italian Football Federation or the league. The club are currently seventh in the standings, four points behind leaders Juventus. They will face Udinese at home on Wednesday, hoping to bounce back from their disappointing result against Bologna.
Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Lille in 2020 for a club-record fee of €70m, has scored 33 goals in 54 appearances for the Italian side. He is also a key member of the Nigerian national team, having scored 10 goals in 19 caps. He is widely regarded as one of the most promising and talented strikers in Europe, and has a bright future ahead of him.
Source: Vanguard
