NAPOLI captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo has criticised Victor Osimhen’s reaction to being withdrawn during last night’s 0-0 Serie A draw at Bologna.
Super Eagles striker Osimhen angrily confronted Napoli manager Rudi Garcia after he was substituted off with four minutes of regulation time left.
Although Osimhen, last season’s Serie A top scorer with 26 goals as they won the Scudetto, was apparently frustrated by his missed penalty and a shot hitting the post, Di Lorenzo believed he should have handled his substitution better.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the game, Di Lorenzo said: “Knowing him (Osimhen), I know he’s aware he was wrong.
“This attitude is unnecessary and we’ll speak between us calmly to solve this thing. He’s the first one to be disappointed, like all of us, for not winning, but we’ll start again.”
Garcia himself did not appear to be too fussed about Osimhen’s outburst as the Nigeria international shouted angrily at the coach that he wanted two strikers on the pitch rather than making way for Giovanni Simeone.
“Even the greatest players in the history of football miss penalties. As for when he went off, we talked about that, what I say to my players remains in the locker room,” the Frenchman said.
Osimhen scored three goals in Napoli’s first two Serie A games this season but has not netted in the last three.
The defending Serie A champions are seventh in the table with eight points in five games.
They will host Udinese at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the next league game on Wednesday.
