“He tears up on all the balls”: the tribute of former teammates of Victor Osimhen before the Naples match

The advantage is AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Naples on Tuesday April 18, after their 1-0 first leg victory. But Napoli, the undisputed leader of Serie A with 14 points ahead of the 2nd, have solid arguments to make to qualify for the semifinals, in particular because they find their top scorer: Victor Osimhen, conspicuously absent from the first leg, because injured.

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Author of 25 goals in 30 games this season, the former Lille player has become one of the best strikers in the world. And it’s no surprise for Jérémy Pied, the former defender rubbed shoulders with Victor Osimhen in Lille during the 2019-2020 season where he got everyone to agree from the first training session: “A cross and, hop, he puts the head. Then, second cross, second header and goal. And then, tearing himself away from the side of big guys, and so we say to ourselves that there is still something. ”

“From his first match, he scored a double with a second goal in particular in an unlikely position.”

Jérémy Pied, former Losc defender

at franceinfo

But beyond the clinical efficiency of the Nigerian, what Jérémy Pied remembers is his former teammate’s sense of sacrifice. “It was our first defensive curtain, he tore himself off on all the balls. And of course, we also wanted to put him in good positions to score the most goals.”

“He showed all his will to succeed”

Qualities which had already allowed him to be called up at the age of 18 in 2017 to the national team by Gernot Rohr, then coach of Nigeria. The particularly experienced coach admits it: he, too, was marked by the mentality of Victor Osimhen.

“This boy comes from a very poor familysays the German technician. He had to fight already by selling bottles of water at 12-14 years old. He showed after all his will to succeed…” Wolfsburg, Charleroi, Lille then Naples, a perfect course, according to Gernot Rohr. And the coach even goes there with his prediction: Victor Osimhen is ready to join an even superior team.