- Victor Osimhen has been picked to start Napoli’s clash against Udinese
- The 24-year-old’s agent has threatened legal action against Napoli
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Victor Osimhen has been named in Napoli’s starting side for Wednesday’s Serie A clash against Udinese despite the player being involved in an ongoing feud with the club.
The Napoli striker has been involved in a chaotic series of recent events that was kick-started by the club posting videos on their Tik Tok account mocking Osimhen.
Napoli named last season’s top scorer in their matchday squad and manager Rudi Garcia has subsequently picked the Nigerian to start against Udinese.
Osimhen and Garcia have fallen out after the striker was mocked by his own club and the player’s relationship with the Serie A champions now looks to be broken beyond repair.
However, the Napoli head coach insists Osimhen is solely focused on playing football for the club, stating pre-match ‘We were frustrated after the draw vs Bologna, then some awkward things on social media didn’t help us in the last two days’.
Victor Osimhen has been named in Napoli’s starting side for Wednesday’s Serie A clash against Udinese
![Osimhen (left) has fallen out with head coach Rudi Garcia (right) but was picked to start against Udinese](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/27/19/75905731-12567787-image-a-18_1695840424395.jpg)
Osimhen (left) has fallen out with head coach Rudi Garcia (right) but was picked to start against Udinese
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‘I spoke to Victor, it’s key to have him focused on the game — he’s gonna do his best for Napoli’.
‘I spoke to Victor, it’s key to have him focused on the game — he’s gonna do his best for Napoli’.
The fallout of the ongoing situation means a January move now beckons for the goalscorer. A host of top European and Saudi Arabia clubs are expected to launch bids for Osimhen. The player has previously expressed interest in joining a Premier League side.
Osimhen – who fired Napoli to a first league title in over 30 years last season – has been at the centre of controversy after TikTok videos from the club which were shared on Wednesday appeared to mock him.
One video centred around his penalty miss during Sunday’s goalless draw against Bologna.
It was a rare error from the Nigerian who has scored 62 goals in 107 appearances for the Serie A side, yet the clip seemed to ridicule him for his attempts to persuade the penalty to be given.
A second video, allegedly from the club’s account, which has been circulated online and since deleted, compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’ – widely viewed as a racial slur.
Osimhen has since removed a large collection of images of him wearing a Napoli shirt from his Instagram account with just a single post remaining.
![Napoli posted videos on their TikTok which appeared to mock Osimhen for appealing for a penalty in Sunday's goalless draw against Bologna](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/27/19/75869723-12567787-Napoli_posted_videos_on_their_TikTok_which_appeared_to_mock_Osim-a-19_1695840457421.jpg)
![It also mocked him for putting the penalty wide](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/27/19/75869751-12567787-It_also_mocked_him_for_putting_the_penalty_wide-a-20_1695840457444.jpg)
Napoli posted videos on their TikTok which appeared to mock Osimhen for appealing for a penalty in Sunday’s goalless draw against Bologna and his subsequent miss from the spot
![A second video, allegedly from the club's account compared Osimhen to a 'coconut'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/27/19/75905859-12567787-image-a-21_1695840466266.jpg)
A second video, allegedly from the club’s account compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’
The incident has created a serious void in his relationship with the club who were fired to the Italian top-flight title by Osimhen’s 26 goals.
A lack of dialogue over contract negotiations between Osimhen and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis’ club has already led to concerns over his future.
Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda has even threatened legal action against the club, stating in a tweet: ‘What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable.
![Osimhen's agent has subsequently threatened legal agent against Napoli](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/27/19/75905975-12567787-image-a-22_1695840553581.jpg)
Osimhen’s agent has subsequently threatened legal agent against Napoli
‘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.’
Napoli are yet to acknowledge the original video, which was deleted from their TikTok account.
Source From: Football | Mail Online
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