Victor Osimhen refuses to celebrate Juventus goal out of respect for Luciano Spalletti | OneFootball

Victor Osimhen scored for Galatasaray at the Allianz Stadium in the Champions League, but refused to celebrate, a 3-2 defeat on the night still sealing a 7-5 aggregate win and a place in the round of 16. According to Goal.com, the Nigerian kept his reaction restrained out of respect for Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti.

Their bond was forged at Napoli’s Scudetto triumph. On the eve of the game, Osimhen said: "Spalletti pulled the best out of me at Napoli, he cared so much that he slept at the training ground. I am in debt to him."

He added: "I owe him so much! Playing for Juve would be a privilege."

Osimhen’s admiration for Juventus has long been evident. He has acknowledged talks during Cristiano Giuntoli’s spell, and recently posted a photo with Alessandro Del Piero, calling himself "lucky to have seen one of the best of all time".

Any reunion is complicated. After his 2025 move to Galatasaray, Aurelio De Laurentiis inserted an anti-Italy clause valid for 24 months, meaning he would be free of those penalties from 1 September 2027, with €70 million due in year one and €50m in year two. Galatasaray paid €75m and Napoli retain a 10 per cent sell-on.

His personal terms add another hurdle, a fixed €15m salary that can reach €21m net with bonuses. With the Growth Decree no longer available, such wages are beyond most Italian budgets, so for now the respect runs deeper than any transfer.

Source: Goal.com