Napoli ‘will not rule out’ a legal battle with the Nigerian Federation after Victor Osimhen tested positive for COVID-19, potentially excluding him from Africa Cup of Nations duty.
The striker had returned home for the Christmas break and was meant to undergo a specialist check-up with doctor Gianpaolo Tartaro tomorrow in Naples, the surgeon who operated on his multiple facial fractures last month.
However, it was announced today that Osimhen tested positive for COVID-19 and was not allowed to board a plane towards Italy.
He also tested positive for COVID-19 when he went to Nigeria in December last year to celebrate his birthday.
Now Napoli aim to use the situation in order to force Nigeria to give up Osimhen for the Africa Cup of Nations, or at least leave him at the club until after the game with Juventus.
“With an agreement between Napoli and the Nigerian Federation, Osimhen could’ve played against Juventus on January 6 and then left immediately after the game,” club lawyer Enrico Lubrano told Radio Punto Nuovo.
“However, COVID complicates everything. The club can say the player is unavailable, but the situation must be verified by the Federation medic. What the FIFA rules do not state is the place where the medical verification is made.
“The FIFA rules note that if a player does not go on international duty because of injury, he cannot be used by his club during the same period that he would’ve played for his country, even if he recovers earlier.”
Lubrano was asked if there could potentially be a legal battle should Napoli ask for Osimhen to be examined by doctor Tartaro and Nigeria refuse to let him leave?
“It is a realistic scenario. Medicine is not an exact science, one doctor can say one thing and another medic give a different opinion.
“FIFA give the final word to the Nigerian Federation. We won’t rule out taking legal action against the Nigerian Federation, seeking compensation.”
Lubrano, legale del #Napoli: “#Osimhen? Il #Napoli chiederà di farlo visitare dal dott. Tartaro mentre la Fed. nigeriana vorrà visitarlo in loco: la FIFA prevede che l’ultima parola spetti alla Nigeria. Il Napoli andrà in Tribunale? Non è da escludere”https://t.co/CcYkg1pN2W
— Claudio Russo (@claudioruss) December 30, 2021
It’s no surprise all the European clubs are holding back their players, left for them they won’t let the African cup of nations take place anyway because somehow they think Africa is beneath them and Africa Nations Cup is not as important as their own competitions!
During Euros 2020, despite the surge in Covid due to the Delta variant, players were released by clubs, stadiums were filled up but same clubs refuse to release Africa players!!!
Country before Clubs and you guys can go for all the legal battles you want!
Napoli should be investigated and demoted to Serie C for inflating Osimhen’s transfer fees and the lad should feature for Juve while this is being sorted.
Stan, it’s the other way around. Clubs before country. Club football generates all of the income and the national teams wouldn’t have a player pool to pick from if domestic leagues didn’t exist (part-time amateur players perhaps?) Not having Osimhen could literally cost Napoli millions depending on where they end up in the league and in Europe. Also, why in god’s name is the AFCON in the middle of the club season? No other international competition (except for the upcoming corrupt Qatar world cup) is played outside of the summer or designated international windows. And finally, yeah, vaccination rates in Africa are abysmal, therefore the probability of exposure to Covid is much higher than anywhere else. If I were a club with African players I would I’d also be extremely wary of releasing them for trips to Africa during this time. As a matter of fact, I’d be wary of signing African players at all for the aforementioned reasons. This could be fixed by improving African vaccination rates and Covid protocols, and by changing the timing of AFCON which is an endemic headache (see what I did there?😉). This however, is unlikely, thus buyer beware.
@Cypher, by this logic Juve should be demoted to the Eccellenza, given their dozens of inflated transfers. Chiesa could then feature for Milan while that’s being sorted 😉
Chiesa is not black French so he wouldn’t fit into Maldini’s plans.
Let’s not even try to deny that this is all he buys these days. To think he was the former Italy Captain, LOL ! All good, he can run his club as he see’s fit, of course.
Serves Napoli right. Let this be a warning shot to all clubs who are treat Italian players as inferior.