Victor Osimhen claims Napoli 'treated me like a dog' as he addresses racist TikTok video

Proven winner Antonio Conte took charge of Napoli in the summer of 2024 and wanted Osimhen to remain at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The 27-year-old had already made up his mind by that point that he would be moving on, with Juventus making a play to keep him in Italian football.

The Nigerian frontman has told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I could have been in two other top Serie A clubs today. [Ex-Juventus director] Giuntoli called me to take me to Juve before negotiations with Galatasaray began. I spoke with a couple of people from the club. They showed interest, but I knew that he [Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis] wouldn’t let me leave. In any case, the interest was definitely there. And when Juventus call, regardless of everything, you sit down and listen.”

Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli chief De Laurentiis had broken down by the time that an initial loan agreement was struck with Turkish giants Galatasaray. He was Serie A’s top scorer in 2022-23, netting 31 goals across all competitions, but things went downhill quickly.

In September 2023, Napoli openly mocked Osimhen on their social media channels after seeing him miss a penalty against Bologna. The content of said posts attracted plenty of criticism and left Osimhen mulling over his options.

He added: “I feel sorry for the fans, also because I never spoke about what happened before. Some of them even came to my house asking for an explanation. I asked them to put themselves in my shoes. After Napoli posted that video on TikTok, something broke.

“Anyone can miss a penalty, and anyone can be mocked for it. Napoli did it only to me, and with certain kinds of insinuations as well. I was the victim of racist insults, and I made my decision. I wanted to leave. I deleted the photos of me wearing the Napoli shirt from my Instagram, and they took the opportunity to turn the fans against me. And to think that, for me, my daughter is more Neapolitan than Nigerian.

“No one ever publicly apologised for what happened. After that famous video, Edoardo De Laurentiis called me several times. That’s it. Meanwhile, rumours were going around that I arrived late at training, and that I argued with team-mates. They’re all lies. I’m sorry for the fans, but I understand and admire them: they support the club, no matter what. For them, Napoli comes before everything.”

Osimhen did sign a contract extension with Napoli in December 2023, but those terms were only agreed in order to keep his price tag high. He knew that he would not be staying on in Naples.

He went on to say: “We had a gentleman’s agreement according to which I could leave the following summer, but the commitment was not fully respected on the other side. They tried to send me anywhere to play, but they treated me like a dog. Go here, go there, do this, do that. I worked so hard to build my career, and I couldn’t accept that kind of treatment. I’m not a puppet.”

Conte was unable to talk Osimhen into staying. He added on those discussions: “Of course, even if some people said he didn’t want me. Are we serious? Which coach at that moment wouldn’t have wanted me? As soon as he arrived, Conte called me into his office and said he was aware of the situation but that, despite everything, he wanted me to stay.

“I said I would have liked to work with him, but then I had made my decision: I didn’t want to keep working in a place where I didn’t feel happy.”

Osimhen is now enjoying his second season with Gala, after seeing a permanent transfer pushed through, with 52 goals being recorded for them through 63 appearances.

He said of his stint in Turkey: “I found a club and a city that I love. Maybe it was a stroke of luck. As soon as you arrive in Istanbul, you understand why anyone who has played here has fallen in love with the team and the people. I had never experienced anything like it.”