Napoli are under fire for mocking their own player, Victor Osimhen, on TikTok.
The incident occurred after Osimhen missed a penalty in Napoli’s 0-0 draw against Bologna on Sunday. The club’s official TikTok account posted a video of the penalty miss, with childish audio inserted as Osimhen challenged for the penalty and failed to score. The club left the controversial post online for over 24 hours.
Napoli’s TikTok account also posted a video mocking Osimhen three days before the penalty miss, tagging a coconut. This video was widely interpreted as a reference to Osimhen’s nationality, as Nigeria is known for its coconuts.
Osimhen has since deleted all Napoli-related pictures from his Instagram account, leading to speculation that he is unhappy with the club.
Napoli have since deleted the TikTok videos and issued a statement apologizing to Osimhen and the fans. The statement said that the club “regrets any offense that may have been caused” and that it is “committed to creating a positive and inclusive environment for all players and fans.”
However, the apology has been met with skepticism by many fans and pundits, who believe that the club should have taken stronger action against the person(s) responsible for posting the videos.
Some fans have called for a boycott of Napoli matches, while others have demanded that the club sack the person(s) responsible for the videos.
The incident has also sparked a wider debate about racism in football. Osimhen is one of many black players who have been subjected to racist abuse in recent years.
It is important to note that there is no evidence that the person(s) who posted the TikTok videos were motivated by racism. However, the fact that they targeted Osimhen, a black player, with such hurtful and disrespectful content has raised concerns about racism within the club.
Napoli must now take steps to show that they are serious about tackling racism and creating a positive and inclusive environment for all players and fans.