Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has opened up about a turbulent exit from SS Napoli, claiming the club treated him “like a dog” before his move to Galatasaray.
The 26-year-old, who was instrumental in Napoli’s first Serie A title in years, revealed in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport that he faced friction with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis despite interest from other top Italian clubs.
“Yes, but I could have in two other Serie A clubs today,” Osimhen said.
“[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 soured after September 2023, following a missed penalty against Bologna that the club highlighted on TikTok. The striker said the episode, which included racist insults, marked a turning point.
“I feel sorry for the fans, also because I never spoke about what happened before,” said the striker.
“Some of them even came to my house asking for explaination. I asked them to put themselves in my shoes. After Napoli posted that video on TikTok, something broke.”
Despite extending his contract in December 2023, Osimhen said he always intended to move on.
“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 teammates. 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.”
Even as Antonio Conte took over as Napoli coach in 2024 and wanted him to stay, Osimhen had already decided to leave.
“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.”
Now in his second season at Galatasaray, Osimhen says he has found a home in Istanbul.
“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,” he concluded.
Tonight, Galatasaray faces Spalletti’s Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League knockout play-off, with Osimhen set to lead the line.
