Osimhen’s Explosive Napoli Exit: A TikTok, Taunts, and a Dogged Fight for Football Freedom
17 February 2026
After a long silence, Victor Osimhen tells his story of Napoli's betrayal.
Osimhen's explosive account of treatment and racism
Nigerian star Victor Osimhen, now at Galatasaray, exploded with anger at Napoli's management in a fiery, blunt interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, revealing for the first time the hell he endured behind the scenes of his departure from the southern club.
In harsh terms that mirror the pain he felt, Osimhen described how Napoli treated him in his final days, saying: They treated me like a dog.
The Nigerian star said the club tried to push him toward destinations he did not want, adding: They told me to go here, do this, do that... I fought hard to build my career and I wouldn't accept this kind of treatment like a dog, I am not a puppet in their hands.
He noted that the turning point came after Napoli's official social media account posted a video mocking him on TikTok after missing a penalty.
He said the issue went beyond sports banter and crossed into racist abuse, saying: I was subjected to racist insults, and I decided to leave immediately; everyone makes mistakes on penalties, but Napoli did that to me alone.
Osimhen added that no one publicly apologized for what happened, with only a few calls from Edoardo De Laurentiis.
Osimhen accused Napoli's management of failing to honor the verbal agreement to depart in the summer. Regarding coach Antonio Conte's attempts to persuade him to stay, Osimhen said: Conte called me to his office and clearly said he wanted me to stay, but I explained I couldn't stay somewhere I wasn't happy, I made my final decision at that time.
He concluded by blaming those who tried to tarnish his image with fans, denying rumors of training delays or conflicts with teammates, calling them lies used to pit him against Napoli supporters.
Punchline time 1: If Napoli wants a dog as a mascot, at least teach it to fetch better headlines.
Punchline time 2: If drama were goals, Napoli would be champions of headlines — and maybe therapy.
