At the moment what Victor Osimhen seems to be saying to Napoli football club is “I gave you my heart and you tore it apart like nothing.”
“I thought we were two souls meant to be together, but it turns out we were just two hearts that couldn’t beat as one”, as the Nigeria lethal striker threatens to sue his club for posting an ‘unacceptable’ video against him.
Osimhen, through his agent considering legal action against Napoli for releasing a mocking video on their official TikTok account to ridicule the striker for missing a penalty kick.
The Nigerian striker helped fire Napoli to a first league title in over 30 years last time out with a standout campaign in which he netted 31 goals across all competitions.
However, he was the target of a bizarre video posted from the club’s own social media profile on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
The video centred on an incident in the club’s scoreless draw against Bologna on Sunday, in which Osimhen spurned the opportunity to win the game from the penalty spot.
Read also: Napoli insist TikTok video not intended to mock Osimhen
That proved to be the game’s defining moment and was a rare miss from the Nigerian, who had bagged three goals in his first five matches this season.
Nevertheless, Napoli’s peculiar video focused on the Nigerian appealing for the penalty, using a strange and rather unsettling sped-up voice, which appeared to have no context, other than to mock the striker for his attempts to persuade the decision to be given.
The video continued to show the striker blasting his effort off target and then abruptly ending.
Speaking on the latest on Victor Osimhen’s dispute with Napoli at Skysport, Kaveh Solhekol said; “It is incredible that a club like Napoli thinks it’s appropriate to release that kind of video.”
Consequent to the recent dint on Osimhen’s relationship with his club, he has deleted almost all pictures of himself in the team’s shirt from his social media accounts after the club posted a video online mocking him.
Read also: Piers Morgan lures Osimhen to Arsenal, as striker deletes all Napoli photos on social media
The bizarre episode comes amid the backdrop of Osimhen, who was wanted by Manchester United, among other clubs this summer – not signing a new contract with the Neapolitans, with whom his current deal runs through to the summer of 2025.
Roberto Calenda, a FIFA agent did not hide his feelings while responding to the ugly incident.
“What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted,” he said.
The FIFA agent added: “A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”
The Nigeria international was in sublime form for Napoli last season and has continued to dazzle this season. The club paid €36m to secure his services in 2020.
And has since shielded their priced player from other clubs, even going to offer him an increased deal just to ensure he does not move.
It is totally a shame that Napoli’s president would go to such an extent to ‘kill’ a child who calls him a father. That is absolutely a sacrilege and unaccepted!
Read also: Osimhen draws ‘battle lines’ with Napoli over TikTok video
It is never a crime to miss penalties; players such as Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, and Jay Jay Okocha had at one time or the other missed penalties, and they were not crucified.
Though the club has yet to acknowledge the video, which was subsequently deleted, Osimhen should learn the worth of leaving when the ovation is high.
If he had left when many top clubs were calling for his services, he would have remained a hero at Naples, just like Maradona.
Osimhen won the FIFA U17 World Cup 2015, FIFA U17 Golden Boot 2015, and FIFA U17 Silver Ball 2015. In Africa, he won the CAF Youth Player of the Year 2015, and AFCON 3rd Place 2019. In France he won Prix Marc-Vivien Foé 2020, and Lille Player of the Season 2019.
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