Very little is known about the immediate family he is raising in Naples and Victor Osimhen is convinced he is right to handle it that way
Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has revealed that he intentionally keeps the information about his daughter and his girlfriend away from the prying eyes of the public.
Aggressive, fearless, and ruthless on the football pitch, Osimhen is arguably even more active on social media.
The Super Eagles striker often uses Twitter and Instagram to connect with his fans, share titbits about his past, share memes on several issues, and post images of himself on and off the pitch.
Still, the Nigerian goal-poacher has never shared any picture of his daughter since she was born in October. It was only recently that he revealed her name – Haly – but the picture of the young girl and her mother remains some of the rarest things on social media.
When asked in an interview with Il Mattino why he has kept details of their existence away from Twitter and Instagram, Osimhen confides that he is protecting them from abuse and insults rampant on those online spaces.
“There is always someone who is ready to criticize, to pour out hatred, to insult,” Osimhen said. “As long as they do it with me, it's part of the game, you can even ignore it.
“But I could never accept that someone could use abusive words towards my daughter or any of my family members. I don't want to suffer these attacks on my affections, that's why I defend my family's privacy from the attacks of those who hate and are capable of writing horrible things on social media.
“I keep my private life to myself because it is not available to anyone.”
How I deal with racism and insults – Victor Osimhen
One of the best strikers in the Italian Serie A, Osimhen is often the target of abuses and insults from rival fans on the pitch and online.
He may be able to hide his family from public wrath but there is no hiding place for the highest goalscorer in the Italian top flight.
But Osimhen insists the racist slurs and jibes do not get to him as he has found a welcoming home in Naples.
“It is a theme to be abused on social media, by rival fans,” the former Lille ace said.” Here in Naples, I feel in a welcoming, understanding place, where I have never felt anything discriminatory.
“I don't think about racism, I think about scoring goals. Here in Naples we are all a family, and then there are many black players here and it is nice to receive all this love from the Azzurri fans.”
Osimhen's focus has been razor-sharp this season with the 23-year-old netting nine league goals for Napoli despite missing several weeks due to injury.
