"They treated me like a dog": Victor Osimhen blasts Napoli leadership over exit

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·17 febbraio 2026

"They treated me like a dog": Victor Osimhen blasts Napoli leadership over exit

Osimhen launches fierce attack on Napoli

"They treated me like a dog": Victor Osimhen blasts Napoli leadership over exit

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Victor Osimhen accused Napoli of treating him badly and explained why he chose Galatasaray after leaving the Italian club.

Osimhen speaks out on Napoli exit

Victor Osimhen has launched a strong attack on his old club saying he was treated with disrespect before his departure. The Nigerian forward now playing for Galatasaray shared his side of the story in interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Osimhen played for Napoli between 2020 & 2024 before leaving permanently in summer 2025 after spending the previous season on loan in Turkey.

He said the relationship with Napoli collapsed after problems with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

🚨🗣️ 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Osimhen: "Napoli made fun of me on their own TikTok channel when I missed a penalty. They only did that with me. I received racist chants, some fans even came to my house, so I decided to leave." "Napoli treated me like a dog. I have worked too hard in life to get
– martedì 17 febbraio 2026

“They treated me like a dog”

Osimhen revealed that there was verbal agreement allowing him to leave Napoli earlier but claimed the club did not respect it.

He said Napoli tried to push him aside and control his future.

“They tried to move me around and treated me like a dog” Osimhen said. “Go here, go there, do this, do that. I worked hard for my career and I could not accept that”

The situation worsened after Napoli posted mocking video on TikTok following missed penalty.

Although the video was later deleted, Osimhen said the damage was already done. He also spoke about facing racist abuse and even fans turning up at his home which pushed him closer to leaving.

Juventus interest blocked

Osimhen also confirmed that Juventus wanted to sign him. However he said Napoli refused to sell him to a direct rival.

“Yes, Juventus wanted me” he explained. “Juventus are a big club. When Juventus call, you listen. But Napoli did not want to sell me there”

Former Napoli star Victor Osimhen says the Partenopei management treated him ‘like a dog’ before his move to Galatasaray, but Antonio Conte wanted him to stay, and Juventus tried to sign him through Cristiano Giuntoli.
– martedì 17 febbraio 2026

New happiness in Istanbul

The striker said everything changed after his move to Galatasaray. Osimhen described his life in Istanbul as a fresh start, both onand off the pitch.

“I found a club and a city I love” he said. “When you arrive in Istanbul, you understand why players fall in love with this club and the people. I have never felt anything like this before”

Osimhen added that Galatasaray fans showed him level of love he had never experienced and said the team’s strong performances in the Turkish league gave them confidence ahead of Champions League.