By Daniel Edu
Napoli captain, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, has provided guidance to Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen following an incident where Osimhen expressed his frustration at coach Rudi Garcia for substituting him during Sunday’s goalless draw with Bologna.
Despite ending Napoli’s three-game Serie A losing streak, the 0-0 draw was seen as a disappointment because it didn’t improve their chances of defending the Scudetto they won last season.
During the game, there were speculations of in-fighting within the team, particularly after Osimhen was substituted with just four minutes left in the match. Osimhen, clearly unhappy with the decision, voiced his displeasure and flung his jacket into the garbage before walking to the substitute’s bench. This substitution followed Osimhen’s missed penalty earlier in the game.
Osimhen has since apologized to the coach and the team, but Di Lorenzo stressed the importance of Osimhen’s attitude.
Di Lorenzo stated, “We manage certain episodes within the locker room. These become more evident when things go wrong. In these moments we don’t need such an attitude; we need to be united and focused on the objective. We will talk to the group and the coach to resolve it. We don’t like to be behind in the championship, even if only at the beginning.”
Coach Garcia also commented on the situation, saying, “The missed penalty happens to the greatest players in the history of football. Then, I obviously spoke to him about his exit, but what I said to him and the team he remains in the locker room. I may not be happy with their performance, but we are a squad with many players and therefore obviously everyone must be used. He is the penalty taker.”
He emphasized the importance of using all the players in the squad for the team’s success and acknowledged that players not being happy when substituted is a common occurrence.
Napoli is currently in 7th place on the league table with 8 points from five games, with two wins, two draws, and one defeat.
