Victor Osimhen is IN Napoli's squad for their clash against Udinese

Victor Osimhen is INCLUDED in Napoli’s squad for their clash with Udinese despite his agent threatening legal action against the club after they appeared to mock him on TikTok

  • Napoli’s TikTok account posted videos which appeared to mock Victor Osimhen 
  • It has led to a rift with the club, but Osimhen was named in their matchday squad
  • Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

Napoli have named Victor Osimhen in their squad for tonight’s clash with Udinese despite the developing rift between the striker and the club.

Rudi Garcia’s side travel to struggling Udinese in Serie A, with the game kicking off at 7:45PM.

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 centered 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.

Victor Osimhen is in Napoli’s squad for their clash with Udinese despite his rift with the club


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 

The video showed the 24-year-old appealing, but used a strange sped-up voice with the caption ‘Gimme penalty please’ before it also showed him blazing the spot-kick wide of the post.

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 the majority of photos of him wearing a Napoli shirt from Instagram, with a single post remaining.

The incident has caused serious doubt over the relationship between last season’s top scorer in Serie A and the reigning Italian champions.

A lack of dialogue over contract negotiations between Osimhen and Aurelio De Laurentiis’ club has already led to concerns over his future.

Osimhen’s deal expires in June 2025, which could lead to Napoli being forced to consider a sale in either the January or summer transfer windows.

The TikTok videos posted from Napoli’s account also led to Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda threatening legal action against the club which has created a media storm and concern among their supporters.

Calenda tweeted: ‘What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. 

‘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.

Osimhen is considering taking legal action against his club following the bizarre TikTok videos

He has also removed nearly all photos of him in a Napoli shirt from his Instagram account

His agent posted a message in Italian and English branding the video as ‘unacceptable’

There also appears to be tension between Osimhen and Napoli boss Rudi Garcia, with the striker seen berating his new manager after being substituted late on against Bologna as they searched for a winner. 

It was confirmed after the match though that Osimhen had apologised to Garcia and his team-mates for the way he showed his disappointment in being taken off the pitch.

Osimhen has been linked with a number of clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in recent times. 

The forward is believed to be valued by his club at around £150m.

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