“I don’t think that’s the way to treat somebody” - Ex-Chelsea star John Obi Mikel hits out at Antonio Conte’s Napoli for disappointing decision
Former Chelsea star John Obi-Mikel has hit out at Antonio Conte for banishing Victor Osimhen at Napoli. He believes that treating a player who helped them win the league in the 2022-23 season was not a good move.
Speaking on his podcast, Mikel stated that taking away Osimhen's jersey number and banishing him from the first team training was not the way to treat the top players at the club.
He said:
"I don't know the inside story of what happened with Napoli and Osimhen, but a player who probably single-handedly, him and Kvaratskhelia, they won Napoli the Scudetto. And for the club to treat Osimhen the way they've treated him, I'm not judging because I don't know the story inside out, but I'm still disappointed."
"The club pushed him aside, he couldn't train with the first team and his jersey number was also taken away. I don't think that's the way to treat somebody who has given so much to the club. For me, I'm kind of disappointed with that," Mikel added.
Victor Osimhen was determined to leave Napoli this summer amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Al Ahli. He was not interested in staying at the Serie A club, and they replaced him with Romelu Lukaku, who was reportedly offered the No.9 jersey belonging to the Nigerian striker at the club.
Antonio Conte admitted Chelsea target Victor Osimhen was not part of his Napoli plans
Antonio Conte made it clear to the media that he was not planning to reinstate Victor Osimhen in his Napoli squad. The manager claimed that the decision was final, and he was happy with how the club handled the situation.
Conte said (via Football Italia):
"Some issues blocked it; perhaps if we had unlocked that [Osimhen] situation, we would have completed the team differently and earlier. The club made an effort, and I must be happy with it."
He added:
"I'm sorry about what happened. I'm sorry for Osimhen. I'm sorry for the club that didn't monetize. I am sorry for myself because we didn't complete the team as we wanted, but the club proved to be consistent in this situation. Coherence is the starting point when it comes to respecting the rules. The club proved consistent, so I praise them for this attitude."
Victor Osimhen has now joined Galatasaray on loan for the season. However, reports suggest there is a break clause and he could be moving to Chelsea in January.