Victor Osimhen's agent says the striker is considering taking action against his club Napoli as a result of being mocked on social media on the Serie A champions' TikTok account. The post, published on Tuesday, targeted the Nigerian striker, mocking his penalty-taking skills, as the relationship between the player and the side has been under increased scrutiny as of late.
"What happened today on Napoli's official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable," his agent, Roberto Calenda, said on his social media. "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. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor."
Osimhen posted a statement on his Instagram after the game against Lecce, when Napoli won 4-0 and Osimhen scored one goal: "Coming to the City of Naples in 2020 was a wonderful decision for me. The people of Napoli have shown me so much love and kindness in every moment and I will not allow anyone to come between us. The passion of the people of Naples fuels my fire to always play with my heart and soul — the love for the badge is unwavering as I wear it with pride. The accusations against people of Naples are untrue. I've a lot of friends that are Napolitans, they became part of my family also on the everyday life. I appreciate Nigerians and everyone for leading their voices to support and reach out to me — I'm forever grateful. Let's support unity, respect, understanding."
Golazo Starting XI Newsletter
Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe
Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Here's the video posted by the club's social media account on Tuesday:
🇳🇬 This was the original video posted by Napoli about Victor Osimhen… and then deleted.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 26, 2023
⚠️ …player’s agent Calenda announced that Osimhen is considering to take legal action against Napoli. pic.twitter.com/0PLunco9aD
On Thursday, the day after Napoli's 4-1 win over Udinese, when Osimhen scored a goal, the club issued the following statement.
"The club, in order to avoid any exploitation on the topic, specifies that it never intended to offend or make fun of Victor Osimhen. To demonstrate this, during the summer training camp, the club firmly rejected every offer received for the attacker. It represents a fact of common experience that on social media, in particular on TikTok, expressive language has always been created with lightness and creativity, without having had, in the case involving Osimhen, any intention of mockery or derision. However, if Victor had perceived any offense towards him, this was not the intention of the club," the statement read.
The story of the club and player's issues came to light after the player argued with his coach Rudi Garcia after he was subbed off against Bologna last Sunday. The Nigerian striker faced Garcia while he was going to the bench and told him directly that he should have tried to play with two central strikers, pointing at him with two fingers. It was a clear message to the world that the Napoli dressing room is not as solid as the past season when they won the Scudetto. The player apologized to the coach and the other players, but this is a signal that there is something that needs to be fixed very soon.
However, on Tuesday, Napoli's TikTok account posted the video which has turned up the lights on the situation, an already delicate one that might affect the negotiations over a new contract with the current agreement expiring in the summer of 2025.
On the same day, the owner of the club, Aurelio De Laurentiis, and Napoli were investigated for false accounting regarding the deal that brought Osimhen to Napoli in 2020. The investigation was over allegations that the transfer fees that included multiple players in the deal were artificially inflated to boost capital gains.
Don't miss CBS Sports Golazo Network's Morning Footy, now in podcast form! Our crew brings you all the news, views, highlights and laughs you need to follow the Beautiful Game in every corner of the globe, every Monday-Friday all year long
"Aside from the technicalities, we want to inform the fans what is happening and reassure them," Napoli's lawyer Mattia Grassani told Radio CRC on Tuesday.
"Napoli have already been judged on this matter with two different levels of the justice system that cleared the club and directors, finding no irregularities. Napoli is the only club where the prosecutor did not ask for the judgment to be revoked, which then lead to Juventus having first a 15-point and then 10-point Serie A penalty. Consequently, if there is no new evidence in this investigation, the Osimhen issue can be considered concluded on a disciplinary level."