Victor Osimhen has been the talk of the footballing world over the past few days.
Firstly, for showing dissent after being subbed off in Napoli’s goalless draw against Bologna and subsequently being mocked and humiliated by the club’s official TikTok account.
Yes, you read that correctly — Osimhen was humiliated by his own club. Napoli’s official TikTok handle posted a video of the Super Eagles striker, demanding and missing a penalty. There was an added voiceover that was shameful, to say the least.
There had been an earlier video posted comparing him to a coconut, on the same TikTok page, bordering on racism. Italian football is no stranger to racism. Guys like Mario Balotelli, Romelu Lukaku, and Sulley Muntari among others, have suffered racism in some way, shape, or form, but never by their own club.
Osimhen must leave Napoli
Osimhen was Napoli and Serie A top scorer last season (26 in 32) and without his input, there would have been no Scudetto to celebrate. He singlehandedly delivered a trophy that had eluded the city of Naples for over 30 years. Not since the late great Diego Armando Maradona.
Does a mini-goal drought and a missed penalty warrant subtle racism from your own club? Absolutely not.
The player quickly took down all traces of Napoli from his Instagram page in the wake of the incident, with his agent Roberto Calenda, threatening legal action against the club.
“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.
“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.
There will be no shortage of takers for the Nigerian whose contract runs till 2025. There certainly will be a queue of teams for a man who scores goals for his club and country.
With teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Real Madrid all in need of sufficient firepower, perhaps the best option for Osimhen is a fresh start.
