TikTok saga: ‘We never intended to offend Osimhen’ — Napoli break silence

SSC Napoli have released an official statement on the TikTok posts, which Victor Osimhen and his management have deemed “inappropriate”. 

In the statement on Thursday, the Italian club said the posts were “never intended to offend or make fun” of the player.

Napoli said posts on its official TikTok page are made with “expressive language” and “lightness and creativity”.

“Calcio Napoli, in order to avoid any exploitation on the topic, specifies that it never intended to offend or make fun of Victor Osimhen, the club’s technical asset,” the statement reads.

“To demonstrate this, during the summer training camp, the club firmly rejected every offer received for the attacker’s transfer abroad.

“It represents a fact of common experience that on social media, in particular on TikTok, expressive language has always been created with lightness and creativity, without having had, in the case involving Osimhen, any intention of mockery or derision.

“However, if Victor had perceived any offence towards him, this was foreign to any will of the company.”

Osimhen’s relationship with the Serie A champions has gone sour after a video was posted on the club’s TikTok account wherein the player was presented in a way that suggested mockery.

The footage attracted widespread condemnation from football lovers.

Roberto Calenda, Osimhen’s agent, threatened a lawsuit against the club, adding that the clip could “cause very serious damage to the player”.

In reaction, Osimhen deleted posts and photos related to the Italian Serie A champions on his Instagram page.

On Wednesday, he scored in a 4-1 victory over Udinese — his first game since the controversy began.

He however marked the goal with limited jubilation.