Osimhen Lifts Lid on Napoli Rift

When Napoli ended their 33-year wait for a Serie A title in the 2022–23 season, the triumph was powered in no small part by the explosive form of Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian striker was the spearhead of a side that dazzled Italy, combining pace, power and clinical finishing to deliver one of the most memorable campaigns in the club’s modern history.

Yet scarcely a year after reaching the summit, Osimhen found himself marginalised, estranged from sections of the club hierarchy and, by his own account, treated in a manner he has since described as deeply humiliating. Speaking recently to the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, he offered a candid reflection on what he calls the most painful chapter of his professional life.

A season for the ages

Napoli’s 2022–23 campaign will long be remembered by supporters at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Osimhen’s contribution was decisive. He finished the league season with 26 goals in 32 appearances, leading the scoring charts and terrorising defences across the peninsula. His performances earned him continental recognition, culminating in the 2023 African Footballer of the Year award.

Below is a summary of his key statistics during that title-winning season:

The title ended a drought stretching back to the days of Diego Maradona, cementing Osimhen’s status as a cult hero in Naples.

Breakdown of trust

However, the relationship between player and club reportedly deteriorated soon after. Osimhen claims there had been a verbal understanding that he would be allowed to leave the following summer should a suitable offer arrive. According to him, that promise was not honoured.

“There was mutual trust,” he explained. “We agreed that if I wished to move the next summer, the club would not stand in my way. But that commitment was not respected.”

Tensions escalated, and Osimhen alleges that he was pushed towards destinations not of his choosing. At one stage, a potential move to Juventus appeared plausible, though he contends Napoli blocked the transfer. Matters reportedly worsened to the point where he was excluded from the squad.

In his most striking remark, Osimhen said: “They tried to send me anywhere. They treated me like a dog — go here, go there, do this, do that. I have worked too hard for my career to accept that. I am nobody’s puppet.”

A fresh start in Turkey

Ultimately, the striker secured a move to Galatasaray in a transfer widely described as one of the most expensive in Turkish football history. He has since begun to rebuild both his form and his reputation.

In a recent UEFA Champions League play-off first leg, Galatasaray delivered a resounding 5–2 victory over Juventus — a performance symbolic of Osimhen’s determination to prove his worth on Europe’s grandest stage once more.

His revelations underscore the fragile equilibrium that often exists between elite players and powerful clubs. Footballing glory can be fleeting; trust, once fractured, even more so. For Osimhen, the Neapolitan fairytale has given way to a tale of betrayal — but also resilience, as he seeks to define the next chapter of his career on his own terms.