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Victor Osimhen has spoken about his experience dealing with racism as one of the prominent black players in Italy.
Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen has hit out at racism in Italy’s top flight saying he will continue to preach against it.
Osimhen is arguably the prominent black footballer in Italian Serie A, having arrived at Napoli for a club-record fee of €75.00m from Lille in 2020.
Racisim in Italy
Italy’s top flight is a league rife with racism against black players. Players like Sulley Muntairi, Moise Kean, Kalidou Koulibaly and other black stars have all been racially abused by fans.
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While a few actions have been taken against the culprits, racism is still an issue in Italy’s top flight.
Osimhen hits out at racism in Italy
Osimhen is one of the players who has experienced it and the Nigeria international revealed how it affects players.
Although the 24-year-old says he has always felt the love of Napoli fans since he arrived in 2020, he has experienced racism in away games.
Osimhen revealed this to journalists after he was named the 2022 foreign athlete of the year in Italy by the foreign press in the country.
“Since I came to Napoli in the City, I haven’t experienced what they call because everyone takes the blacks and whites as brothers unlike some of the other cities I have gone to,” Osimhen said at the press conference.
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“I’ve been racially abused twice, and it’s a bad feeling. But of course, the love from Napoli fans through messages, phone calls and even in the stadium makes me not really think about these things.
Despite the love he has received from Napoli fans, Osimhen insists he will always speak out against racism because it affects players mentally.
“But I’ll try to preach as much as I can that racism is a bad disease, and it can make someone commit suicide in terms of where we blacks are coming from,” Osimhen continued.
So I think I have a chase to erase that, but it’s not going to be easy, the Super Eagles star concluded.
In other news, Osimhen has claimed it is his ambition to move to the Premier League, where racism is not rife as it is in Italy.
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