Tag: Napoli

  • Napoli to fine Osimhen for breaking COVID-19 rules

    Napoli to fine Osimhen for breaking COVID-19 rules

    Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen may be facing a fine of up to two weeks’ wages by his club Napoli after a video of his birthday emerged on social media.

    Osimhen tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, a few days after attending a birthday party organized in his honor.

    According to an Italian newspaper, Italy24news, the Super Eagles forward was seen in a video dancing without a mask, while his guests also broke Covid-19 protocols.

    The said video angered the Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso and the Napoli fans who believed he acted irresponsibly.

    Napoli is not happy with the footballer who has now tested positive for Covid 19 after failing to comply with the rules imposed by the club.

    Meanwhile, the club also confirmed that Osimhen was not in contact with the rest of his team mates and was asymptomatic.

  • Serie A: Napoli rename stadium after Diego Maradona

    Serie A: Napoli rename stadium after Diego Maradona

    Napoli have renamed their stadium after late club legend Diego Maradona.

    Former Argentina attacking midfielder and manager Maradona, who died aged 60 in November, led the Italian side to two Serie A titles, in 1987 and 1990.

    The Stadio San Paolo will now be known as the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, after the Napoli city council approved the resolution.

    Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis proposed renaming the stadium in an open letter after Maradona’s death.

    The mayor of Naples, Luigi de Magistris, also backed the idea.

    Maradona spent seven years at Napoli after joining from Barcelona in 1984, also winning the 1987 Coppa Italia and 1989 Uefa Cup with the Italian club.

    Fans gathered at the stadium to pay tribute to him after his death on 25 November and Napoli honoured him before their Europa League match against HNK Rijeka, each player wearing a shirt with ‘Maradona 10’ on the back.

    “The resolution was signed by the entire city council,” said the council in a statement.

    It added that Maradona was “the greatest footballer of all time” who “with his immense talent and magic honoured the Napoli team shirt for seven years” and “receiving in exchange from the whole city an eternal and unconditional love”.

    Maradona made 188 appearances for Napoli, more than he made for any other club in his career, and scored 81 goals.

    He represented Argentina in four World Cups and was captain when they won the 1986 title in Mexico.

  • Europa: Victor Osimhen sees first career red in Napoli win

    Europa: Victor Osimhen sees first career red in Napoli win

    Victor Osimhen was shown a red card after two bookable offences in Napoli’s 1-0 triumph over Real Sociedad in Thursday’s Europa League clash.

    The Super Eagles striker received a first red in his footballing career in the third minute of added time.

    He had initially picked his first yellow in the 81st minute.

    He then picked another ten minutes later, after elbowing Robin Le Normand while trying to control David Ospina’s goal kick.

    The 21-year-old record signing came on as a second-half substitute for Gennaro Gattuso’s side, as a Matteo Politano lone goal sealed the win for the Partenopei.

    Osimhen will now miss next week’s clash with Rijeka.

  • Insigne brothers score for opposing sides in Napoli win

    Insigne brothers score for opposing sides in Napoli win

    Lorenzo Insigne and his younger brother Roberto scored for opposing sides on Sunday as Napoli came from behind to win 2-1 away to promoted Benevento in Serie A.

    Roberto Insigne, the younger of the two, stunned Napoli by scoring his first Serie A goal at the age of 26 before Lorenzo levelled on the hour.

    Substitute Andrea Petagna won the game for the visitors who moved into second place.

    The two brothers have had very different careers in spite of both making their professional debuts with Napoli.

    Lorenzo Insigne has gone on to make over 350 appearances for them and become one of their key players.

    Roberto made only two appearances and was then loaned out to six different clubs, spending most of his career in Serie B, before Benevento signed him last year.

    The match also featured a touchline duel between Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso and his counterpart Filippo Inzahgi who were team mates for AC Milan and Italy.

    Benevento went ahead when Gianluca Lapadula pulled the ball back from the byline and Roberto Insigne fired into the roof of the net on the half hour.

    Napoli twice hit the woodwork before half-time and Lorenzo Insigne had a goal disallowed after the interval before equalising.

    This was with a ferocious shot which bounced down off the underside of the crossbar and over the line.

    Seven minutes later, Matteo Politano broke down the right and Petagna scored from close range.

    Napoli still had to endure some late pressure and goalkeeper Alex Meret punched Marco Sau’s free-kick from under his crossbar with the last touch of the game.

    Napoli have 11 points from five games, one less than AC Milan, after winning all four games on the pitch.

    They forfeited their match away to Juventus and had a point deducted when they failed to travel to the game amid confusion over COVID-19 rules.

  • Everton sign Brazil midfielder from Napoli

    Everton sign Brazil midfielder from Napoli

    English Premier League (EPL) clubside Everton on Saturday said they have signed Brazil midfielder Allan from Italian side Napoli on a three-year deal.

    Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but British media reported Everton had paid a fee of around 25 million pounds to Napoli for the 29-year-old.

    Allan scored 11 goals and grabbed 16 assists in more than 200 appearances for Napoli across all competitions, helping them claim the Coppa Italia last season.

    “It is a real pleasure to sign for Everton. I am immensely happy to be here,” Allan said in a club statement.

    “I hope I will, like I have done in my entire career, contribute with my performances together with my teammates and that I put in some great games, great performances and win important things.”

  • Photo: Super Eagles star, Osimhen finally joins Napoli in €50m deal

    Photo: Super Eagles star, Osimhen finally joins Napoli in €50m deal

    Nigerian international Victor Osimhen has joined Napoli on a big money deal from Lille.

    Osimhen who scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for the Ligue 1 side in the 2019-20 season moves to Naples in a deal reported to be worth €50 million (£45million/$59million).

    The 21-year-old had been linked with several top European clubs following his impressive goal scoring season, including Arsenal and Liverpool.

    He is expected to lead Napoli’s attack next season, as they look to return to the Champions League having missed out this year.

    Napoli finished seventh in Serie A, although they have guaranteed qualification for the Europa League group stage by winning the Coppa Italia.

  • Why Osimhen dumped agent for Napoli move

    Why Osimhen dumped agent for Napoli move

    Victor Osimhen’s former agent Franco Iovino of Star Factory claimed the forward dumped his agency on the advice of Lille, who wanted to sell him only to Napoli because of the relationship between the Presidents of the clubs.

    Napoli has, however, have been in the front of the race to secure the signature of the highly-rated striker but negotiations for the transfer was delayed with Iovino revealing the forward was hesitant in completing the deal.

    Osimhen had previously expressed his fears about racism in Italy and Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly confirmed the Nigeria international called him to make an enquiry about racial discrimination in the European country.

    Last week, L’Equipe revealed negotiations have now reopened after the forward made up his mind to join the Stadio San Paolo outfit and Goal confirmed the Super Eagles centre-forward changed his agent.

    “It was not clear what happened. Perhaps something fishy went down, probably between the Presidents of Lille and Napoli,” Iovino told Radio Punto Nuovo, as per Football Italia.

    “The negotiations didn’t slow down because of Star Factory but because the player kept hesitating. William D’Avila is a home agent in Lille. The club will surely have advised Osimhen to leave us and go with him.

    “They will certainly have promised him money. Lille for some reason wanted to only sell to Napoli because there’s an excellent relationship between the Presidents.

    “At the moment, my company doesn’t need to look itself in the mirror, the two clubs do.”

     

  • Osimhen set to complete €81m Napoli move

    Osimhen set to complete €81m Napoli move

    Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen has reportedly entered into negotiations with Napoli, having made up his mind to join the Serie A side.

    The 21-year-old visited Napoli’s training facilities, plus head coach Gennaro Gatusso and president Aurelio De Laurentiis two weeks ago.

    Osimhen was however not too keen on linking up with the Partenopei due to racism issue in Italy.

    The former VFL Wolfsburg striker spoke with Senegal forward Kalidou Koulibaly who reassured him there is no racism issue in Italy.

    According to multiple reports, Napoli director Cristiano Guintoli met Lille president Gerard Lopez and Osimhen’s intermediaries for more face-to-face negotiations on Monday.

    He hopes to sweep aside the remaining doubts and convince Osimhen that this is the best step in his career.

    The cost of the transfer will be in the region of €50m plus Adam Ounas, which will bring the total up to €81m.

    Osimhen scored 18 goals and recorded six assists in 38 appearances across all competitions for Lille in the 2019/20 season.

  • I’d be very happy at Liverpool if… – Mane

    I’d be very happy at Liverpool if… – Mane

    Sadio Mane would love to see Senegal teamamte Kalidou Koulibaly join him at Liverpool.

    Mane believes the 29-year-old Napoli defender would be a huge hit for the newly-crowned Premier League champions.

    The duo were clubmates at Metz in 2011-12, and have played together many times for Senegal’s Teranga Lions.

    Mane, 28, said: “Kalidou Koulibaly is an excellent defender, and one of the world’s best in his position.

    “I would be very happy to play alongside him at club level, as I have known him for years.”

    The winger continued: “We first got to know one another at Metz before meeting up once more in the Senegal national team.

    “No club could refuse the chance to have Koulibaly in their squad.

    “In any event, it would be a pleasure for me to play for Liverpool together with him.

    “He would be more than welcome here.”

  • Victor Osimhen turns down Napoli move

    Victor Osimhen turns down Napoli move

    Lille star Victor Osimhen has turned down the chance to join Napoli and he’s awaiting an offer from the Premier League, according to Football Italia.

    The Super Eagles striker was in Italy last week to visit Napoli’s management and inspect the club’s facilities, but he is said to be declining their €50 million offer.

    The Italian outlet claims the 21-year-old is waiting for offers from either Arsenal or Manchester United to step forward.