Napoli players reportedly blame Osimhen for Champions League exit

Nigerian international Victor Osimhen has been criticised by his teammates for poor performance following Napoli‘s 3-1 loss against Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 match.

The 25-year-old failed to make an impact for Napoli in their painful UEFA Champions League exit, earning criticism from players and Italian newspapers.

The Partenopei managed to hold the Blaugrana to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie last month, but they failed to replicate that performance in Catalonia on Tuesday evening, falling in a 3-1 loss after goals from Fermin Lopez, Joao Cancelo and Roberto Lewandowski, nullifying Amir Rrahmani’s strike.

Osimhen was in action for the entire duration of the clash but failed to impress, looking isolated from his Napoli teammates. He managed just one shot across the 90 minutes and only won one of his 10 attempted duels.

According to an Italian newspaper Il Mattino, as reported by Calcio Napoli 1926, Napoli’s dressing room is not happy with Osimhen’s display, noting that the Nigerian striker is being pampered after being overpaid by the club.

“Osimhen, overpaid and pampered by a club that this season has granted him everything (from treatment in Nigeria to extra holidays for personal reasons) has worn the role of the superstar without repaying the generous benefits received off the pitch on the pitch, something that the locker room did not digest well,” as quoted by Calcio Napoli 1926.

“Historically, champions are granted greater freedom, as long as they prove decisive in times of need. In some ways, he is an annoying, but also divisive, leader.

“He also appears capable of disturbing the climate of the dressing room, as when he decided (with the manager and the club) not to even go to the bench with Genoa, after his return from the African Cup of Nations.

“This is also why Kvara seemed dissatisfied, disheartened, without motivation.”

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