Tag: Napoli

  • Napoli Coach Addresses Defensive Concerns with Victor Osimhen

    Napoli Coach Addresses Defensive Concerns with Victor Osimhen

    By Daniel Edu

    Rudi Garcia, the manager of Napoli, has shed light on a concern he has regarding Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen’s defensive contributions. Despite Osimhen’s impressive offensive performance during Napoli’s victory over Frosinone, Garcia has voiced his observation that Osimhen’s defensive efforts have diminished. He openly communicated this issue to Osimhen during the game.

    Napoli, the reigning champions of the Italian Serie A, kicked off the new season with a 3-1 win against newly promoted Frosinone. Osimhen showcased his offensive prowess by scoring two of Napoli’s three goals in the match. However, despite his contributions on the attacking front, Garcia expressed dissatisfaction with Osimhen’s defensive role within the team.

    Garcia shared his perspective with DAZN, acknowledging Osimhen’s offensive excellence but highlighting his disappointment with the striker’s decreased defensive involvement. The manager revealed that he discussed this matter with Osimhen during the halftime break. Garcia pointed out that Osimhen’s defensive efforts were more robust in the past, and he emphasized the importance of a balanced approach.

    Garcia explained, “Offensively, he was excellent, he scored two goals and there is nothing I can tell him. Defensively, I didn’t like him at all and I told him during the break. He used to press more and defend better in the past. We changed this thing in the second half and we played with more quality. I knew he was not fit to play 90 minutes, but we waited for his second goal, he is a leader and this will never change, it’s his strong point.”

    Earlier in the summer, there were speculations surrounding Osimhen’s potential departure from Napoli, despite his instrumental role in the team’s Scudetto win. Clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and even Saudi Arabian clubs reportedly expressed interest in him. However, Osimhen appears to be extending his stay at Napoli for at least another season, as reports suggest he is on the verge of signing a contract extension with the club.

  • Ligue 1 Champions Ready to Pursue Osimhen Aggressively

    Ligue 1 Champions Ready to Pursue Osimhen Aggressively

    PSG Sets Sights on Osimhen as Mbappe’s Possible Replacement

    Rumors are swirling that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is gearing up to launch a strong bid for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen in the event that Kylian Mbappe departs this summer.

    According to reports from Corriere dello Sport via Napolista, PSG is keeping a close eye on Osimhen as a potential successor to the talented French forward.

    PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has allegedly presented Mbappe with a two-week ultimatum to either commit to a new contract or seek opportunities elsewhere. The club is unwilling to let him go for free and is determined to avoid such a scenario.

    Mbappe’s contract is set to expire after the upcoming season, and PSG cannot exercise the one-year option clause to extend his stay. Consequently, the club is eager to secure a transfer fee if they part ways with the star player.

    While PSG had previously expressed interest in Osimhen, they were unable to meet Napoli’s valuation of €150 million. However, if Mbappe is sold, PSG’s financial landscape could undergo a transformation.

    Osimhen, currently engaged in contract negotiations with Napoli, could potentially become the highest-paid player in the club’s history if both parties reach an agreement.

    Despite considering the prospect of extending his tenure in Naples, the 24-year-old Nigerian forward might still opt to depart this summer if Napoli fails to meet his demands and a suitor emerges that is willing to meet his valuation.

  • Napoli president sets condition for Osimhen’s departure

    Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has announced a fresh two-year contract proposal for star striker Victor Osimhen, but he also acknowledged the possibility of the Nigerian leaving if the club receives an irresistible offer. While no specific amount was mentioned, Napoli will entertain offers for Osimhen only if they exceed €100m.Following an impressive season with Napoli, Nigerian international Victor Osimhen has garnered significant attention from several top European clubs vying for his signature. Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Lille in 2020 for a club and African record fee of €75m, still has two years remaining on his current contract with the Italian club.According to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has stated, “We have reached an agreement in principle with Victor Osimhen to extend his contract for two additional years.” However, de Laurentiis also added that if an exceptionally high bid that cannot be turned down materializes, the club will carefully consider the situation and make the best decision for the club’s interests.Osimhen showcased his goal-scoring prowess during the previous season, netting an impressive tally of 26 league goals for Napoli, including the decisive goal that secured the title. Additionally, the former Lille player contributed five goals in six Champions League matches, culminating in a remarkable total of 31 goals across all competitions.

  • Osimhen Seals Napoli’s First Serie A Title In 33 Years

    Osimhen Seals Napoli’s First Serie A Title In 33 Years

    Victor Osimhen’s second-half equaliser against Udinese sealed Napoli’s first Scudetto title in 33 years.

    Napoli’s Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen (Rear C-L) celebrates with Napoli’s Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Rear C) after scoring an equalizer during the Italian Serie A football match between Udinese and Napoli on May 4, 2023 at the Friuli stadium in Udine. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

    The Nigerian, leading the race for the Italian Serie A golden boot, netted in the 52nd minute to cancel Sandi Lovric’s first-half strike, a goal that sent fans into raptures in Naples.

    Fans of SSC Napoli gather at the Largo Maradona in the Quartieri Spagnoli district on May 4, 2023 in Naples, watching a projection of a potentially decisive match between SSC Napoli and Udinese played in Udine, anticipating the celebration of the club’s Italian champions “Scudetto” title.(Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

    Needing just a draw to scoop their first domestic crown since 1990, Napoli’s dreams of landing it seem to be fading away when Lovric scored early on.

    Fans of SSC Napoli gathering at the Largo Maradona in the Quartieri Spagnoli district on May 4, 2023 in Naples to watch a live broadcast of a potentially decisive match between Udinese and Napoli played in Udine, react after Napoli scored an equalizer, anticipating the celebration of the club’s Italian champions “Scudetto” title, as Napoli is to play a potentially decisive match in Udine. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP).

    But Victor Osimhen’s leveller was enough to bring the Scudetto back to southern Italy’s biggest city for the third time.

    Luciano Spalletti and his team will receive an emotional welcome when they return to Naples, where the partying is set to continue to until at least their next home fixture against Fiorentina on Sunday evening.

    It was appropriate that Osimhen was the man to take Napoli over the line as the Nigeria striker has had the best season of his career and been key to Napoli’s historic charge to glory.

    Osimhen’s title-deciding strike was his 22nd goal in 28 league appearances and rightly caused bedlam among the massed ranks of away fans who took over the Dacia Arena in Udine.

    Napoli’s 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio leaves them with a month-long parade between now and the end of the season which will allow their long-suffering supporters to fully unload more than a generation of frustration.

  • UEFA Europa Conference League: West Ham ease to third successive win, Napoli sink Legia

    UEFA Europa Conference League: West Ham ease to third successive win, Napoli sink Legia

    West Ham United moved closer to the Europa League knockout stage as goals from Craig Dawson, Issa Diop and Jarrod Bowen secured a 3-0 home win over Belgium’s Genk on Thursday night.

    The result meant the English Premier League side continued their perfect start in Group H.

    West Ham top the standings on nine points ahead of Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Vienna and Genk who have three each, after the London side kept a third successive clean sheet in Europe’s second-tier competition.

    Dawson fired West Ham ahead with a looping header on the stroke of halftime and Diop made it 2-0 from a second assist by Aaron Cresswell before Bowen added the third with a deflected shot on the hour.

    Napoli kept alive their hopes of advancing from Group C after Lorenzo Insigne, Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano secured a 3-0 home win over Legia Warsaw.

    Legia stayed top with six points from three games while Napoli and Leicester City, who enjoyed a rollercoaster 4-3 win at Spartak Moscow on Wednesday, have four each. Fourth-placed Spartak have three points.

    Insigne fired Napoli ahead in the 75th minute with a superb first-time shot before in-form Osimhen netted his ninth goal of the season in all competitions and Politano sealed the win with a long-range strike.

    Olympique Lyonnais maintained their perfect start in Group A as they overturned a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 win at Sparta Prague, who took a 2-0 lead thanks to a first-half brace from Lukas Haraslin.

    Lyon hit back as Karl Toko Ekambi scored twice while Houssem Aouar and Lucas Paqueta added one each before Ladislav Krejci pulled one back in stoppage time.

    Lyon stayed top on nine points ahead of Sparta on four and Rangers, who have three after beating Brondby 2-0 at home thanks to first-half goals from Leon Balgoun and Kemar Roofe.

    In Group D, Eintracht Frankfurt leapt into pole position on seven points, one ahead of Olympiakos after a 3-1 home win over the Greek side.

    Both teams are well-placed to progress as third-placed Fenerbahce have two points and Royal Antwerp one after their 2-2 draw.

    Monaco went top of Group B on seven points from three games with a 2-1 win at PSV Eindhoven and Real Sociedad are two points behind after a 1-0 victory at Sturm Graz. 

  • Victor Osimhen finally recovers from COVID-19

    Victor Osimhen finally recovers from COVID-19

    Napoli and Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has finally recovered from coronavirus. 

    The Nigerian international, 22,  first tested positive for COVID-19 upon his return to his club from the Christmas holiday. Last week, he returned another positive COVID-19 result and was scheduled for another test which came back negative. 

    On Friday, Napoli confirmed that Osimhen received a negative result from the last swab test.

    “Victor #Osimhen has recovered from #COVID19 , “reads a tweet on the club’s official Twitter handle on Friday.

  • Juventus lashes Napoli 2-0 to win Italian Super Cup

    Juventus lashes Napoli 2-0 to win Italian Super Cup

    Andrea Pirlo won his first trophy as a coach on Wednesday as Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup.

    Cristiano Ronaldo blasted in the first goal from a corner on 64 minutes in Reggio Emilia, before Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne missed a penalty and Alvaro Morata added a second deep into injury time.

    Juventus won the annual trophy, played between the league champions and Italian Cup holders, for the ninth time, having finished runners-up last year to Lazio.

    Pirlo won his first silverware five months after taking over at his former club.

    It was the first meeting between Pirlo and Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso, who won the 2006 World Cup together and spent a decade as AC Milan teammates, winning two Serie A titles and two Champions League crowns together.

    AFP

  • ‘We cared more than ever tonight’ – Lorenzo Insigne

    ‘We cared more than ever tonight’ – Lorenzo Insigne

    Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne said Diego Maradona’s death hurts as the city suffers after the Serie A side donned Argentina-style shirts to honour the club great in their 4-0 rout of rivals Roma.

    Maradona – arguably football’s greatest ever player who led Napoli to their only Scudetto honours in 1987 and 1990 – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

    After beating Rijeka in the Europa League on Thursday, Napoli played their first Serie A match since Maradona’s passing on Sunday and it was an emotional occasion at the Stadio San Paolo.

    Napoli sported a Maradona-themed jersey, which consisted of light blue and white stripes instead of the iconic all-blue shirt and it proved an inspirational strip as the Partenopei equalled their largest margin of victory against Roma in Serie A, having also routed the capital club 4-0 in 1980 and 1971.

    Insigne – born and bred in Naples – opened the scoring with a free-kick on the half-hour mark before reaching for a Maradona shirt and kissing it as he celebrated.

    Fabian Ruiz, Napoli’s all-time leading goalscorer Dries Mertens and Matteo Politano were also on target.

    “The atmosphere certainly gave us extra motivation, as we wanted to pay homage to our idol,” Insigne, the only player since 2012-13 to score at least one goal and assist at least one in each of the past nine seasons, told Sky Sport Italia.

    “It hurts and we cared more than ever tonight to put in a great performance for him and the city that is suffering.”

    Napoli moved up to fifth position in Serie A, six points adrift of unbeaten leaders AC Milan.

    Gennaro Gattuso also earned his 50th career victory as a head coach in the Italian top flight, while becoming the first Napoli boss to win his first two Serie A encounters against Roma.

    “There is a sense of sadness, but at this moment I think the city must also show common sense,” Gattuso said. “I am seeing too many people going around without their masks.

    “Maradona is a legend, everyone knows that, and I understand the desire to express that affection, but I hope from tomorrow the city will get back to being sensible, or we’ll all pay the consequences later.”

  • Serie A: Napoli wins emotional first match after Diego Maradona’s death

    Serie A: Napoli wins emotional first match after Diego Maradona’s death

    Napoli overcame Croatian side Rijeka 2-0 on Thursday in their first match since the death of Diego Maradona, the Italian club’s greatest and most popular player.

    On an emotionally-charged evening, the Napoli team took the field for the Europa League game wearing number 10 shirts with Maradona’s name emblazoned on the back, while a photograph of the Argentine idol stared down from the electronic scoreboard.

    Banners showing images of Maradona, who led Napoli to two Serie A titles during seven extraordinary seasons at the club in the 1980s, were placed around the San Paolo stadium, which was eerily empty and quiet due to COVID-19 regulations.

    Banners showing images of Maradona, who led Napoli to two Serie A titles during seven extraordinary seasons at the club in the 1980s, were placed around the San Paolo stadium, which was eerily empty and quiet due to COVID-19 regulations.

    “From yesterday, when we went to the hotel, you could sense that a different mood had come over the city,” Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “It was a great loss, but Diego will never die. He is a legend, from another planet.”

    Gattuso had known Maradona personally.

    “I have so many good memories, I had the chance to speak to him many times,” he said. “He has died but his spirit lives on. He made mistakes in his private life but he will always be alive because of what he has achieved.”

    Although spectators were not allowed into the ground itself, however, fans gathered outside the stadium chanting “Diego, Diego” and other anthems.

    Hundreds of blue and white Napoli scarves were tied to railings outside the stadium, and flowers, children’s pictures, church candles and even a bottle of wine were laid out along the pavement in a makeshift shrine.

    Maradona died of a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60.

    Once the game started, Napoli dominated and created several chances before Rijeka full-back Armando Anastasio, under pressure from Matteo Politano, turned Piotr Zielinski’s shot into his own net five minutes before half-time.

    Hirving Lozano made the result safe in the 75th minute, controlling Lorenzo Insigne’s pass before slotting the ball past Ivan Nevistic to leave Napoli top of Group F with nine points from four games, two ahead of AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad.

    Politano said it was hard to concentrate on the game.

    “It is a sad day and it was difficult to go onto the pitch in the right frame of mind,” he said. “It’s a difficult moment but we have to be strong so we can win a trophy and dedicate it to Maradona.”

  • AC Milan soured over Ibrahimovic after star striker leaves Napoli match with muscle injury

    AC Milan soured over Ibrahimovic after star striker leaves Napoli match with muscle injury

    AC Milan’s 3-1 win over Napoli on Sunday was soured by a potential injury to leading marksman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

    With 78 minutes of the Serie A encounter gone, the 39-year-old Swede went down clutching his left leg and had to be replaced.

    His club will now have to evaluate the severity of what appears to be a muscular problem.

    Speaking after the game Daniele Bonera – who was filling in for Stefano Pioli, who has Covid-19 – expressed his hope that the injury wouldn’t be a severe one.

    “We don’t have much information right now, it looks like a muscular problem, but we have to wait a few days to see the extent of it,” Bonera told Sky Sport Italia.

    The timing of the injury could scarcely be any worse as the Rossoneri’s fixture schedule prior to Christmas is packed. Indeed, they have nine fixtures to play in around a month and are already without Portugal international forward Rafael Leao because of a physical complaint.

    They are due to travel to Lille in Europa League action on Thursday and will seek to avenge a thumping 3-0 loss to the Ligue 1 side at San Siro.

    Thereafter, they will host struggling Fiorentina in the league, while before Christmas they will also have to face the likes of Lazio and second-placed Sassuolo, though the latter of those fixtures does not take place until December 20.

    As such, Milan must now cross their fingers and hope the issue does not prove to be anything serious for Ibrahimovic, who has scored 10 goals in just six league outings this season and has already missed four games due to Covid-19.

    On Sunday, he was a chief protagonist as Milan earned three points at Napoli that kept them at the summit of the Serie A table.

    He had opened the scoring midway through the first half and added a second shortly after the break to propel Stefano Pioli’s side towards the win.

    Jens Petter Hauge would later add the third in stoppage time against an opponent down to 10 men.

    Milan will have to assess the extent of Ibrahimovic’s injury, but it was a sad way for the Swede to leave what had been a historic match for him.

    By finding the back of the net, he became just the fourth player in the modern era of Serie A to have scored in the first six league matches he had played of a season. He joined the likes of Gabriel Batistuta and Christian Vieri in doing so.