Pinnick slams Napoli for poor Victor Osimhen treatment
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has criticized Napoli for their treatment of Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen following his transfer saga.
Pinnick, who led Nigerian football from 2014 to 2022, expressed disappointment at how the Italian club handled Osimhen after his remarkable contributions to their success.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News, Pinnick praised Osimhen for his role in leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years, a feat that hadn’t been achieved since Diego Maradona’s era.
Pinnick highlighted the lack of recognition from Napoli for Osimhen’s achievements, particularly when he won the prestigious African Footballer of the Year award.
“Osimhen did what nobody did in 30 years. He singlehandedly won the league for Napoli after 30 years. But the club didn’t celebrate him appropriately. They didn’t post about him winning the African Footballer of the Year until two days later, and they didn’t give him a guard of honour,” Pinnick remarked.
Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli deteriorated after contract negotiations and transfer attempts failed, ultimately leading to his move to Turkish club Galatasaray on a season-long loan. Pinnick emphasized that Osimhen gave his all for Napoli but was not treated fairly by the club.
Despite the saga, Osimhen remains focused on his football and is currently preparing for Nigeria’s upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda, while also aiming to deliver success with Galatasaray.
