NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has deleted almost all pictures of himself in the team’s shirt from his social media accounts after the soccer club posted a mocking video of him online.
Napoli posted a video Tuesday that appeared to make fun of Osimhen’s penalty skills after he missed a spot kick in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Bologna.
It later deleted the video but Osimhen responded by deleting almost all pictures of himself in a Napoli shirt. His agent also reacted angrily.
“What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable,” Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, said in a post. “A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted.
“A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”
Osimhen’s penalty miss came with 18 minutes of the match remaining at Bologna when the forward sent his shot well wide. The forward also reacted angrily toward coach Rudi Garcia when he was substituted with four minutes left.
The Napoli fans jeered that decision, just as they had done when Garcia took off Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Garcia is already under pressure with the team winless in its past three league matches and looking like a shadow of the team that won the Serie A title last season under Luciano Spalletti.
Osimhen was the league’s top scorer last season with 26 goals. The 24-year-old Nigerian has three goals in five matches this season.
His contract expires in 2025 but there are reports Osimhen could seek to leave the club in January.
Osimhen put his off-the-field drama behind him as he scored in Napoli’s 4-1 victory over Udinese on Wednesday. He was cheered by the fans before the match in a show of support.
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