‘The referee was correct’- Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti reacts to Osimhen’s red card

The Nigerian received a straight red card when his side faced Venezia in their opening game of the Serie A season on Sunday night 

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti has spoken about the need for Nigeria International Victor Osimhen to have a firm grip on his emotions.

Osimhen was given his marching orders in the 23rd minute of their Serie A fixture against Venezia after he was adjudged to have punched Venezia defender Daan Heymans.

Speaking after the match, as reported by Napolista, Spalletti said: “Osimhen’s expulsion? He has to be careful of his emotional reactions. He is a strong attacker, and all defenders will help each other.

“He will always have his hands on the defenders. He must be careful. The referee was correct when I went to talk to him, and he explained what he saw,” Spalletti added.

However, Napoli’s quality prevailed as, despite their one-man disadvantage, they still outplayed Venezia and secured a 2-0 victory.

It was not the first time that the former Under-17 MVP would display unruly behaviour on the pitch. Last season, he got sent off in Napoli’s Europa League fixture against Real Sociedad.

Because of the red card, the 22-year-old could now miss the next three fixtures against Genoa, Juventus, and Udinese.

It’s four games wasted for Osimhen, and he could potentially miss another five due to Nigeria’s involvement in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.