The Nigerian forward started the new season on the wrong note for Napoli. Around this time last year, Victor Osimhen became a Napoli player after completing a big-money move from French Ligue 1 side Lille.
It was a move that got fans back home in Nigeria buzzing, likewise Napoli fans because of both his talent and young age. Indeed, there were high expectations of him so much some considered him to be someone who would walk in the same shoes as club legend Diego Maradona did.
That’s how excited fans were.
The 2020-21 season however didn’t turn out to be what many had expected of Osimhen.
Even though Osimhen scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 24 Serie A outings, his form was marred by a shoulder injury that kept him out for nearly two months. He also caught coronavirus after breaching precautionary guidelines.
It didn’t go down well with then-coach Gennaro Gattuso and it was a stain on Osimhen.
The 22-year-old was probably keen to rebuild that reputation among the Napoli faithful especially under the direction of new boss Luciano Spalletti, and it couldn’t have gone any worse for Osimhen after he was given a straight red card for violent conduct after 23 minutes in Napoli’s season opener against newly-promoted Venezia. Though the Partenopei won the match 2-0, it left further discontent with Osimhen’s needless conduct as he is set for a two-game ban.
He missed the weekend’s match away to Genoa and a tough trip to Juventus after the international break. Surely these are games Napoli need to win to maintain a strong start to the season after missing out on the top four on the very last day of the previous campaign.
There are mixed reviews over whether the incident was really worth a red card, but Spalletti insists Osimhen needs to watch his emotions.
“The expulsion of Osimhen? He has to be careful of his emotional reactions,” Spalletti said.
“He is a strong attacker and all defenders will help each other. He will always have his hands on the defenders. He must be careful. The referee was corrected when I went to talk to him and he explained what he saw.”
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This is absolutely the worst possible way for Osimhen to start his season, not especially when he has an image to build. This will be the second time the ex-Wolfsburg striker was sent off in Napoli colors, having gotten two yellows in a Group F Europa League encounter at Real Sociedad last season.
Osimhen is known to have a laissez-faire attitude and that probably does not make him realise the consequences of his actions. Perhaps, he’s gotten carried away by his fast rise to fame and fortune and it’s not hard to understand why considering he’s just a 22-year-old.
Osimhen however needs to realize that he has an awful lot of responsibility on his shoulders as the main center-forward of the club, especially for the big fee of up to €80 million that he was purchased for.
He needs to understand fans are watching him and the slightest of misbehavior can turn one from a crowd favorite to one even the coach has no trust in again.
Osimhen must therefore adjust his mentality and fast if he wants his Napoli career to be remembered for good because supporters of Italian clubs aren’t the most forgiving.
Kunle is an avid writer with an interest in topics on sports, politics, and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News, and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.
