Victor Osimhen has removed nearly all photos of him in a Napoli shirt from his Instagram account following a racist TikTok video from the club which labelled the forward ‘a coconut’.
The striker who fired Napoli to a first league title in over 30 years last season, was the target of a video where he was mocked by his own club on social media on Tuesday.
One video centered on his penalty miss during Sunday’s goalless draw against Bologna.
It was a rare miss for the Nigerian who has scored 62 goals in 107 appearances for the Serie A side, yet the video appeared to mock him for his attempts to persuade for the penalty to be given.
The video showed the 24-year-old appealing for a penalty, but using a strange sped-up voice with the caption ‘Gimme penalty please’ before showing him blazing the spot-kick wide of the post.
A second video allegedly from the club’s account, which has been circulated online and since deleted, compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’ – widely viewed as a racial slur.
Osimhen has removed the majority of photos of him wearing a Napoli shirt from Instagram, with a single post remaining.
There is a now serious risk that Osimhen decides do not participate in Napoli’s Serie A match against Udinese on Wednesday night.
The incident has case serious doubt over the relationship between last season’s top scorer in Serie A and the reigning Italian champions.
A lack of dialogue over contract negotiations between Osimhen and Aurelio De Laurentiis’ club has already led to concerns over the Nigerian forward’s future.
Osimhen’s contract expires in June 2025, which could led to Napoli being forced to consider a sale in either the January or summer transfer windows.
The TikTok videos posted from Napoli’s account and Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda threatening legal action against the club has created a media storm and concern among the club’s supporters.
All the anticipation will shift to the match against Udinese to see if Osimhen will start or begin the match on the bench.
The rift between the player and the club has created a difficult situation, which has increased the likelihood Osimhen could be sold.
Credit: dailymail.co.uk
