Victor Osimhen Discloses Moment He Decided to Quit Napoli
- Victor Osimhen says a controversial social media post was the turning point in his decision to leave Napoli
- The Nigerian striker revealed he felt racially targeted and betrayed despite helping the club win the Serie A
- Osimhen eventually moved on to rebuild his career with Turkish giants Galatasaray
Victor Osimhen has revealed the exact moment he knew his time at Napoli was over, pointing to a controversial social media post by the Italian club that left him deeply hurt and disillusioned.
Despite playing a major role in Napoli’s historic 2022/23 Serie A victory, where he emerged as the league’s top scorer, Osimhen says the relationship with the club began to collapse in September 2023.
Source: Getty Images
Napoli had posted a TikTok video mocking the Nigerian forward after he missed a penalty against Bologna, a move that sparked outrage in the football community.
The 27-year-old forward believes the post went beyond football banter and crossed into racial undertones, leaving him feeling singled out and humiliated by his own employers.
"After Napoli posted that video on TikTok, something definitely broke.
"Anyone can miss a penalty, anyone can be mocked for it. Napoli only did it to me, and with certain innuendos, too. I was the victim of racist insults, and I made my decision.
“I wanted to leave. I deleted photos of me in a Napoli shirt from my Instagram, and they seized the opportunity to turn the fans against me. And to think, my daughter, for me, is more Neapolitan than Nigerian," The Nigerian frontman has told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Conte’s arrival could not change Osimhen’s decision
When Antonio Conte arrived at Napoli in the summer of 2024, there was hope that Osimhen could be convinced to stay and lead a new project at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Source: Getty Images
According to GOAL, Conte reportedly wanted the Super Eagles striker to remain and be central to his plans.
However, by that time, Osimhen had already made up his mind. His relationship with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis had deteriorated, and trust between player and club had all but vanished.
Although Osimhen signed a contract extension in December 2023, he has now revealed it was a strategic decision rather than a commitment to stay.
The deal was agreed mainly to protect Napoli’s financial interests and keep his market value high, as both sides knew a separation was inevitable.
Napoli’s handling of the viral video and the fallout that followed, according to Osimhen, only strengthened his resolve to seek a fresh start away from Italy.
Osimhen eventually left Napoli in 2024, initially joining Galatasaray on loan.
The move proved to be the reset he needed, and the Nigerian striker quickly rediscovered his form in Turkey, helping the Istanbul giants win both the Turkish Super Lig and the Turkish Cup in his debut season.
Osimhen’s impact convinced Galatasaray to complete a permanent transfer last summer, ending his Napoli chapter for good and allowing him to rebuild his career in a more supportive environment.
Osimhen’s future at Galatasaray in doubt
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that fresh uncertainty surrounds Osimhen after comments from Galatasaray legend Hasan Sas suggested the Nigerian striker could be on his way out of the Turkish club as early as this summer.
Sas made it clear he doubts Galatasaray can keep hold of Osimhen if a top club makes a decisive move.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
