Victor Osimhen declined to celebrate his crucial Champions League goal against Juventus as a tribute to his former manager Luciano Spalletti and due to his dissatisfaction with Galatasaray’s performance.
Victor Osimhen has revealed that his muted reaction to scoring against Juventus on Wednesday was a gesture of respect for Bianconeri coach Luciano Spalletti.
Despite Juventus winning the second leg 3-2 after extra time, Osimhen’s strike helped Galatasaray advance 7-5 on aggregate.
The Nigerian forward, who won a historic Serie A title under Spalletti at Napoli, opted for simple handshakes rather than his usual exuberant celebrations at the Allianz Stadium.
“I think it’s important to respect a man I love and who has played an important role in my career — I’m obviously talking about Spalletti,” Osimhen explained to Prime Video.
Beyond personal sentiment, the striker admitted he was frustrated by Galatasaray’s display after they surrendered a three-goal aggregate lead to ten-man Juventus.
“We played very poorly… so there was no reason to celebrate,” he added, as the Turkish side now prepares for a Round of 16 clash.