‘He Served With His Heart’: Ex NFF Boss Pinnick Defends Osimhen Amidst Napoli Exit Saga

• Victor Osimhen was involved in a tussle with Napoli before leaving the club this week
• The reigning African Footballer of the Year joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan
• Former NFF President Amaju Pinnick has leapt in defence of the Super Eagles forward

The former President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has defended striker Victor Osimhen after his loan move from Napoli to Galatasaray.

Osimhen was denied a deadline-day move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli after Napoli botched the move due to excessive demands, while the player rejected Chelsea’s offer due to unsatisfactory terms.

He was left out of the club’s Serie A squad for the 2024/25 season, meaning he would not have played until at least January if he had not moved to Turkey.

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Pinnick backs Osimhen against Napoli

Osimhen’s issue at Napoli was the most talked about topic in the summer transfer window, with many football fans and personalities slamming the Italian club.

Speaking to Arise News, Pinnick has criticised the club for being unfair to the striker, whom he claimed served with his heart.

“I’m not limited to Nigeria, I’m global, so there are things I cannot say. But I can tell you emphatically that Osimhen served Napoli with his heart,” he said

“Osimhen did what nobody did in 30 years. Osimhen singlehandedly won that league for Napoli after 30 years. He won the African Footballer of the Year, his club did not post it on that day. It was two days after the club posted it. What does that tell you?” he added.

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“Did they give him a guard of honor for winning the African player of the year? There are so many things that I cannot say, but Napoli was not fair to Osimhen,” he concluded.

The former Lille star will never play for the club again. According to Fabrizio Romano, he signed a contract extension till 2027 with a new £63million release clause.

The reigning African Footballer of the Year taking his stand against unacceptable terms was praised by all and seen as a significant fight for respect for African footballers, as opined by UK-based journalist Rilwan Balogun, who spoke exclusively to Legit.ng.

“Let’s say Victor Osimhen has taken one for the future. He has taken body shots for a situation that will be historically important to African football players. The lessons are quite enormous, and his reaction also offers a pathway to critical business discussions even at the grassroots level,” he said.

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“One would expect that local clubs across the continent have begun to teach their players these intricacies of the wider, bigger and ultra-sensitive nature of the football business. And it begins from here, really.”

Pinnick defends Victor Osimhen

Legit.ng reported that Pinnick disclosed Osimhen’s reaction after he spoke to the striker following his “unfortunate” rant against former head coach Finidi George.

He defended the striker, claiming he is humble, has never come across as disrespectful, and has channelled his remorse to the appropriate quarters.

Source: Legit.ng