Former Napoli defender Maurizio Domizzi feels Victor Osimhen should be on penalty duty for Napoli.
- Domizzi believes Osimhen should be taking Napoli’s penalties
- The former defender questioned why the striker is not preferred
- Nigeria forward did not take any of his side’s two spot kicks on Sunday
WHAT HAPPENED? The Serie A leaders had two penalties in their 2-0 victory over Sampdoria on Sunday but Osimhen, the league’s leading scorer, did not take any of them with Matteo Politano stepping to the spot for the first while Elif Elmas took the second.
Politano missed his penalty which was saved by the goalkeeper but Elmas had no such problems as he made the points safe with eight minutes remaining.
That was after Osimhen had given Napoli a 19th-minute lead with a great finish inside the box for his 10th Serie A goal of the season and Domizzi is wondering why the club and league’s top scorer is not on penalty duties.
WHAT DID HE SAY? “The penalty taker issue? It’s a bit strange that someone like Osimhen doesn’t take penalties, he’s the leading striker and the most prolific,” said Domizzi as quoted by Tuttonapoli.
“Evidently either he or whoever on the staff will have decided differently. Usually, the penalty taker is chosen by the coach only partially, it is above all the teammates who choose and recognise the true penalty taker of the team. It’s more a question of character and personality, not just technique.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Osimhen has scored only once from the spot this season with Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti rotating the penalty duties among him, Politano (scored four), Elmas (2), Hirving Lozano, Piotr Zielinski and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all who have scored once.
The Nigeria international could have increased his tally considerably had he been taking penalties consistently given Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, M’Bala Nzola of Spezia and Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic, who are two goals behind him in the Golden Boot race, are among the penalty takers for their clubs.
WHAT’S NEXT? Osimhen has an opportunity to increase his goal tally when Napoli face Juventus in their next Serie A match on Friday.
Source: Goal
