“The problem is Osimhen” – Italian pundit blames Super Eagles striker for Napoli’s Serie A woes

The Nigeria international missed a large chunk of last season due to a freak facial injury and coronavirus infection

Respected Italian football expert Mario Sconcerti has heaped a ton of blame on Victor Osimhen's shoulders for Napoli's failed attempt at winning the Italian Serie A last season.

Despite occupying the league's top position for several weeks, Napoli eventually finished third behind champions AC Milan and runners-up Inter Milan.

Osimhen also enjoyed a relatively productive season, scoring 14 goals in 27 Serie A matches.

The Super Eagles striker, however, missed more than a third of Napoli's league games due to a severe facial injury that damaged his cheekbones.

The 23-year-old's injury required surgery which kept him out of action from November to mid-January.

While Osimhen was away, Napoli only managed three wins in eight league games, suffering disappointing home defeats to Atalanta, Empoli, and Spezia.

With Napoli finishing seven points behind eventual winners Milan, a win in those games could have tilted the Scudetto in the Neapolitans' favour.

What has Sconcerti said?

Football pundit Mario Sconcerti thinks Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti should not be blamed for the team's title wobble. Instead, the 73-year-old points fingers at Osimhen and his injury for Napoli's league woes.

Also supporting Napoli's owner Aurelio De Laurentiis' position on African players, Sconcerti believes Osimhen should share the blame with other Napoli stars who left the club for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

“The coach is not the Napoli problem (last season),” Sconcerti told Radio Kiss Kiss via Tutto Napoli.

“The problems were Osimhen and his injury and the African Cup.

“(Napoli owner Aurelio) De Laurentiis is right. He has been criticised for racism, but this is not the case. It is not a problem of skin colour but of calendars.”

Osimhen will have the chance to shut his critics up when the Italian league season kicks off this weekend. Napoli begin their title hunt with an away clash at Verona on Monday.