Napoli manager Rudi Garcia has stated that the club did not intend to hurt Victor Osimhen over the offensive video posted on the club’s TikTok account after his penalty miss against Bologna.
The reigning Serie A champions became the centre of global attention on the video with social media reaction deeming it racist and Osimhen’s agent threatening legal action over the incident.
All of that was however put behind as the Partenopei recorded a comfortable 4-1 win over Udinese on Wednesday night with Osimhen finding the back of the net for his fifth goal against Le Zebrette, tying him with Dries Mertens and Gonzalo Higuain as the Napoli player to net five or more goals against the same opponent under the current Serie A format.
5 – Before Osimhen (5 games in a row with goal vs Udinese), only Mertens (vs Bologna and Cagliari) and Higuaín (vs Lazio) had scored in 5+ matches in a row for Napoli against a single opponent in Serie A in the era of three points for a win (94/95). Thread.#NapoliUdinese pic.twitter.com/LThVXIKP7n
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 27, 2023
The Campania outfit were awarded a penalty which was scored by Piotr Zielinski, and Garcia clarified that he did not take Osimhen off penalty duties, rather the former Lille man decided to allow Zielinski take it.
“I complimented him [Osimhen], which is different. I have had a very good rapport with Victor since the moment I arrived,” Garcia told DAZN after the match as per Football Italia.
“I am happy because he scored a goal and centre-forwards always want to score goals. He too was unlucky hitting the crossbar and upright in the last few games, but I told him to stay focused on the game.
“Technically, he provided an assist today, because I had named him as the penalty taker this evening. I do not take someone off penalty duties if they make a mistake, but he decided to give that assist to Zielinski.”
Reflecting on the fallout of the Bologna game and the offensive TikTok post, Garcia elaborated:
“In Bologna we were all frustrated at not winning and he was even more after missing a penalty, so that can happen. We cleared the air, it all went back to normal.
“Over the last two days there was a bit of trouble with some clumsy behaviour. Nobody wanted to be hurtful, not the TikTok with the video of Victor, nor Victor by taking his photographs down on social media. Nobody intended to hurt anyone, these are instinctive reactions and are understandable.
“It is his social media account, he can do what he wants with it. All I can say is that he loves this jersey and will give everything for Napoli this season as well.”
Osimhen has now scored four goals in six league games with Napoli recording their third win which has moved them up to fifth, four points behind current leaders Inter Milan.
