Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero has drummed support for Victor Osimhen after he was criticised for Napoli‘s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona.
The 49-year-old Juventus legend said the Nigeria international showed a ‘positive attitude’ against Barcelona.
Del Piero won the Champions League and the World Cup and has the most goals and appearances in Juventus’ history.
Osimhen failed to impress in Napoli’s Champions League loss to Barcelona on Tuesday, which caused the Partenopei’s exit from the competition.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Del Piero, the 2006 Italy World Cup winner with Italy defended Osimhen’s performance despite being flagged offside so many times.
“He put in maximum commitment even if being flagged offside so many times is a little bit excessive,” Del Piero told Sky Sport Italia, as quoted by TMW.
“Of course, when you play badly in an important match, you are a little down, but the player’s qualities can not be questioned.
“Napoli have had a negative season, so you do not always face what happens with a smile. However, Osimhen’s attitude was always positive.”
Osimhen has scored 13 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions this season, including one in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Barcelona two weeks back.
The Super Eagles striker recently signed a contract with the Partenopei until June 2026 with a €130m release clause.
