Rudi Garcia explains why Victor Osimhen is benched for Napoli against Lecce this afternoon and assures the TikTok video controversy will ‘take care of itself.’
It kicks off at the Stadio Via del Mare at 14.00 UK time (13.00 GMT).
The former Roma coach reached 200 Serie A points in his career with the midweek 4-1 win over Udinese.
“I hope to have 203 points by the end of the game,” smiled Garcia on DAZN.
There are some changes with Jesper Lindstrom receiving his first start and Giovanni Simeone giving Osimhen some rest ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
“The lads know they must be fully concentrated on this match, because it is already a few days after the last game and it is played under the sun and heat. This is no friendly, Lecce have had a great start to the season and we must be at 100 per cent physically and mentally to get a result.
“There has to be squad rotation, it is almost a third of the team that changed since the game with Udinese, so it’s natural to look to everyone, including those who come off the bench.”
President Aurelio De Laurentiis via the club released a statement on the Osimhen TikTok video controversy, which stopped short of an apology to the striker, instead assuring the clip mocking his penalty miss against Bologna did not intend to offend or denigrate him.
“The extra-sport issue is not important, I prefer to talk about what happens on the field and Osimhen has scored four goals in six games. The rest will take care of itself,” shrugged the coach.
Osimhen is on the bench this afternoon, replaced by Simeone.
I don’t know why Osimhen still want to continue to hang around this ordinary coach, he’s too low a coach for a player of Osimhen pedigree.
It is either the coach is replaced or Osimhen goes somewhere better – this is the period he can command respect the way he wants it on the big stage …
I totally agree with you is high time Osimhen goes somewhere better than Napoli