Former Napoli Chief Fires Back at Victor Osimhen After Racism Claims by Super Eagles Striker
- Former Napoli director Mauro Meluso has denied Victor Osimhen’s racism allegations against the Italian club
- The reigning Serie A champions insist the TikTok video was meant as “ironic,” not offensive
- The incident forced Osimhen to part ways with Napoli in the summer of 2024
Former Napoli sporting director Mauro Meluso has strongly denied accusations made by Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, insisting the Nigerian forward was never racially abused by the Italian club during his time in Italy.
Osimhen, now with Galatasaray, recently reignited controversy by alleging that Napoli treated him “like a dog” and failed to support him after a controversial TikTok post following a missed penalty.
Source: Getty Images
According to ESPN, the 27-year-old striker also claimed racist undertones surrounded the incident and that broken promises from the Serie A club pushed him out of Naples.
Meluso, however, has hit back, describing Osimhen’s version of events as misleading and insisting there was no racist intent behind the video or the club’s actions.
Meluso fires back at Osimhen’s racism claims
Speaking to Radio Napoli Centrale, as reported by OwnGoal Nigeria, Meluso revealed that Napoli officials immediately moved to calm the situation after the controversial TikTok clip was released.
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“Regarding the TikTok video case, I remember that Nicola Lombardo and I calmed Osimhen down, he was furious the day after the video was released,” Meluso said.
“We were accused of racism, but there was absolutely no intention of targeting one of our own players, it was meant to be ironic.”
Meluso stressed that Napoli as a club stands firmly against racism and rejected the idea that Osimhen was deliberately humiliated.
“Woe betide anyone who would use racist language. Napoli rejects all forms of racism. The people of the city as well, I have great respect for Neapolitan fans.”
How Osimhen’s story at Napoli turned bitter
Osimhen’s recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport sent shockwaves through Italian football.
On the eve of Galatasaray’s Champions League clash with Juventus, the Nigerian striker accused Napoli of broken promises and unfair treatment that ultimately forced him out.
Despite scoring 76 goals in 133 matches for Napoli, Osimhen said the TikTok incident and the club’s alleged lack of support damaged him emotionally and professionally.
Meluso acknowledged that the episode had a strong personal effect on the player but maintained that there was no malicious intent.
“That TikTok video affected him deeply, also because a Nigerian government representative intervened with strong statements. It had a media and personal impact,” Meluso said.
“For me, there was no intent to offend him, but someone instrumentalised the situation.”
Osimhen was a central figure in Napoli’s historic 2023 Serie A win, scoring 26 goals to help the club win its first league title in 33 years.
What once looked like a lasting legacy turned into a messy separation as Osimhen left Napoli in the summer of 2024, initially on loan to Galatasaray before sealing a permanent move after a successful season in Turkey.
Osimhen tender apology to Galatasaray
In another development, Legit.ng reported that Osimhen took to social media to apologise directly to Galatasaray, not for racism claims but for breaking the club’s stadium ceiling.
During the post-match celebrations, Galatasaray’s official Instagram account shared behind-the-scenes footage of the squad enjoying the victory. In one clip, Osimhen was seen accidentally damaging part of the ceiling while jumping in excitement with teammates.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
