Super Eagles striker and Galatasaray forward, Victor Osimhen, has opened up about the humiliating circumstances that led to his departure from Italian club Napoli.
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Osimhen said the breakdown in his relationship with the club began after he was mocked on Napoli’s official TikTok account for missing a penalty during a 2023-24 Serie A match.
The club’s TikTok posted two videos, later deleted, that ridiculed Osimhen. One showed images of the striker with a coconut and the lyrics, “I’m not a boy… I’m not a girl… I’m a coconut,” while the other featured him missing the penalty, edited with high-pitched, sped-up audio.
Osimhen described the treatment as demeaning and said it included racial undertones. “Anyone can miss a penalty, anyone can be mocked for it. Napoli only did it to me, and with certain innuendos, too. I was the victim of racist insults, and I made my decision: I wanted to leave,” he said.
He added that he had tried to maintain professionalism, even agreeing to a gentlemen’s deal allowing him to leave the club the following summer. However, Osimhen claimed the agreement was not honored, and the club began directing him around as if he were a “puppet.” “We had a gentlemen’s agreement, but the other side didn’t fully keep their promise. They tried to send me to play everywhere, treating me like a dog. Go here, go there, do this, do that… I worked so hard to advance my career, I couldn’t accept that kind of treatment,” he said.
Despite the bitterness, Osimhen expressed sympathy for Napoli fans and denied claims of unprofessional behaviour on his part. “No one ever publicly apologized for what happened. Meanwhile, there were rumors that I was late to the pitch or arguing with teammates… It’s all lies. I feel sorry for the fans, but I understand and admire them: they always support the club. For them, Napoli comes first,” he added.
VANGUARD