- Galatasaray board member Resit Omer Kukner addressed Victor Osimhen after the Nigerian striker's post-match interview sparked controversy in Turkey
- Osimhen scored against his former club Lille to end a three-match dry spell but caused a stir with comments defending himself against critics
- Kukner's letter acknowledged the Super Eagles forward’s quality while pointing out a specific weakness he said the striker has yet to correct
A Galatasaray board member has published an open letter to Victor Osimhen following the Nigerian striker's heated response to critics after the Turkish club's victory over LOSC Lille.
Osimhen ended a three-game scoring drought in that match, netting against his former club to make it 4-2 and seal the win for Galatasaray.
Source: Getty Images
However, his post-match interview drew as much attention as the goal itself, as the Nigerian forward insisted he is among the best strikers in the world and dismissed those who questioned his performances.
The interview triggered a wave of reaction in Turkey, prompting board member Resit Omer Kukner to share a lengthy open letter addressed to Osimhen on his X page.
Kukner opened by affirming the striker's quality before laying out his concerns.
“No one disputes what a great goalscorer you are. You are truly one of the few elite centre-forwards in the Universe. However, this does not exempt you from criticism,” he wrote.
The board member pointed specifically to Osimhen's recurring problem with offside decisions, using the striker's disallowed goal for Galatasaray in the same Lille match as an example.
“Even in the case of your disallowed goal against Lille, you failed to analyse where you should have been positioned. You couldn't manage to stay just one step behind — even at the halfway line, where it is easiest to avoid the offside trap,” Kukner wrote.
Kukner also placed Osimhen's situation in a broader club context, reminding the striker that some of Galatasaray's greatest forwards faced heavy scrutiny during their time at the club.
“Galatasaray is a club with a rich history of great centre-forwards. I watched Metin Oktay, Tanju Çolak, Hakan Şükür, Mario Jardel, and Mauro Icardi play in person. They were all heavily criticised at times — but such criticism was always intended to help them improve," he continued.
The letter closed on a warmer note, with Kukner describing Osimhen as "an incredibly precious gem" for the club and insisting that any criticism directed at him is meant to help him develop further.
"Hubris is not a positive trait. We all love you very much, Victor Osimhen!" he concluded.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan from Napoli ahead of the 2024/25 season before making the move permanent.
Every word of Osimhen’s fiery rant
Legit.ng previously reported every word of Victor Osimhen’s fiery message to his critics after scoring his first Champions League goal this season.
The striker hit back at his detractors, claiming that he has no fear and that this has made him one of the very best strikers in the world.
Source: Legit.ng
Authors:
Tags:
Hot: