(Reuters) – Despite the social media controversy surrounding Victor Osimhen and Napoli, the Nigerian striker remains committed to the cause, club captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said on Monday.
After Osimhen’s agent threatened legal action over a mocking TikTok video posted and then deleted by Napoli, and the club insisting they never intended to offend, the player declared his love for the side on Sunday.
“For us nothing has changed, his relationship with the team and his attitude to give his best has not changed,” Di Lorenzo told reporters ahead of Napoli’s Champions League group game with Real Madrid on Tuesday.
“We’ve also seen it in the games, he is always willing, always available to his team mates, he is the usual Osimhen, a great player and he will give his best, like everyone else, against Real Madrid,” he added.
Napoli have won their last two Serie A games, with an impressive 4-0 win at Lecce on Saturday signalling a real return to form and taking the club up to third place in the table.
Manager Rudi Garcia wants to see this continue, to keep Napoli where he feels they belong.
“Napoli should be playing the Champions League every year. We are top of the group along with Real Madrid, but it is the domestic league which allows you to play in the Champions League,” Garcia said.
“In the last game we returned to the top four and now we can concentrate fully on this big game, against a great club.”
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; editing by Clare Fallon)