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Napoli manager Rudi Garcia has spoken out regarding the recent controversy surrounding striker Victor Osimhen and the club's TikTok video, reported by GOAL.
Earlier this week, Napoli's official TikTok account uploaded two videos featuring the Nigerian striker, one of which poked fun at his missed penalty against Bologna, and the other compared him to a coconut. The videos sparked outrage, leading Osimhen to delete all images of himself in a Napoli shirt from his Instagram account. His agent, Roberto Calenda, even issued a legal warning to Napoli. Although the videos have now been taken down, Osimhen has not received an apology from the club.
Garcia attempted to downplay the incident after Osimhen scored in Napoli's recent win over Udinese. He told DAZN after the game, “Over the last two days, there was a bit of trouble with some clumsy behavior. Nobody wanted to be hurtful, not the TikTok with the video of Victor, nor Victor by taking his photographs down on social media. Nobody intended to hurt anyone; these are instinctive reactions and are understandable.”
The manager emphasized Osimhen's commitment to the club, saying, “It is his social media account; he can do what he wants with it. All I can say is that he loves this jersey and will give everything for Napoli this season as well.”
Despite the recent controversy, Osimhen's long-term future at Napoli has been questioned. The Nigerian star, who helped the team break a 33-year Scudetto drought last season with 26 goals, is expected to draw attention from Saudi Arabian teams in the January transfer window. There are also reported interests from Chelsea and Real Madrid in acquiring the striker.
Victor Osimhen recently played and scored a goal for Napoli against Udinese and is likely to be in action against Lecce on Saturday, September 30.
