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Victor to victim?

By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 30, 2023

In the world of football, there are stories of triumph and heartbreak, of heroes and villains. The tale of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, who became a star at Napoli, is one such story.

From being hailed as the saviour who ended Napoli’s 33-year wait for a league title to becoming a victim of ridicule in the media, Osimhen’s journey has been one of a reversal of fortunes.

On May 4, 2023 when Osimhen etched his name in the hearts of Napoli fans forever. With a powerful strike in the final moments of the game against Udinese, he secured victory for his team and clinched the Serie A title after more than three decades of longing sparking scenes of pandemonium among the 11,000 travelling support and a packed-out Stadio Diego Armando Maradona who were watching history being made on big screens back in Naples.

The city erupted in joy, and Osimhen became an instant legend.

However, this season after a fast start scoring three goals in the first two games, Osimhen endured a four-game goals drought. He struggled to find the back of the net and faced criticism from fans and pundits alike. Despite this challenging phase, he remained determined and focused on his game.

The worst backlash of all came last Sunday when the 24-year-old missed a penalty against Bologna that denied Napoli a chance to win all three points.

And with just four minutes to the end of the game, the Super Eagles striker was substituted for Giovanni Simeone. Not happy with the substitution, Osimhen expressed his anger at Napoli coach Rudi Garcia as he walked away to the bench.

Osimhen has since sent his apologies to the coach and his teammates over his action but on Tuesday, the official TikTok of the team, which had posted a video three days ago referring to Osimhen as a coconut head, posted another video trolling the Nigerian for missing the penalty against Bologna.

The action by the club’s social media handle has seen the football faithful from across the world attack the club with Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, stating that they could take legal action against Napoli.

Unfortunately, fame can be a double-edged sword. As Osimhen’s star continued to rise, he found himself at odds with his own club. Many perceived the video as mocking the player, which drew widespread criticism with Nigerian legend, Sunday Oliseh advising his compatriot to leave the Italian champions.

In response to this unfortunate incident, Osimhen removed most of his pictures in Napoli’s shirt from his social media accounts.

On Wednesday, Osimhen was on the scoresheet ending his goals drought when the club beat Udinese 4-1 at the Estadio Diego Maradona Stadium but he did not celebrate with his usual exuberance.

Just four months after leading Napoli to their first league title in 33 years, Osimhen appears to have lost faith in the club he has remained fiercely loyal to.

He turned down the huge financial packages on offer in Saudi Arabia, and rejected the advances of some of Europe’s top clubs including Bayern Munich and Newcastle.

Now, he feels abandoned and betrayed after being mistreated by his manager and mocked by his own club on social media.

Osimhen thought he was loved in Naples, but recent events have made him question this, and whether he is still considered the team’s leading player or just a useful one that is no longer indispensable.

He now faces an uncertain future, with clubs from the Middle East and Europe likely to make approaches for him shortly. It cannot be ruled out that Osimhen is sold in January, and he is now into the final two years of his contract, with his deal due to expire in June 2025.

With this in mind, he may leave at a far more reasonable price than the €150m president Aurelio de Laurentiis was demanding in the summer.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Osimhen was at dinner when he learned of the TikTok video, and immediately demanded the post be removed.

The angry reaction to Napoli’s TikTok video and the tweet from his agent Roberto Calenda threatening legal action highlight how serious the situation is.

Napoli fans are understandably worried about what will happen next. With Osimhen deleting his Napoli photos, it is unclear how much longer he will stick around.

Napoli achieved one of their greatest highs just four months ago. Now, they are a club in turmoil, largely by their own doing, and risk losing their best player. In the statement the club released, they only explained that they did not mean to hurt Osimhen but failed to apologise.

“So as to avoid the topic being manipulated in any way, Napoli points out that it never meant to offend or mock Victor Osimhen, who is a technical asset of the club,” a statement on the club’s website read.

“Proof of this is the fact that the club firmly rejected all the offers it received for the attacker’s transfer abroad.”

With four goals scored in six games in the Serie A this season, Osimhen will be focused on increasing that tally when they face Lecce on Saturday (today) despite his issues with his club.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 30, 2023