Osimhen Under F!re After Galatasaray Win As Former Striker Questions His Attitude

Former Galatasaray striker Necati Ateş has criticised Victor Osimhen’s body language and decision-making following the Turkish champions’ 1-0 victory over Gençlerbirliği on Saturday.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Ateş questioned the Nigerian forward’s demeanour when he fails to score, suggesting that his desire to find the back of the net sometimes affects his behaviour on the pitch.

Osimhen played the entire 90 minutes but neither scored nor provided an assist during the encounter, ending his run of recording a goal contribution in every appearance this season.

Speaking on the Spor Gecesi Digital YouTube channel, Ateş said he was unhappy with the striker’s body language, arguing that Osimhen appeared to behave differently when he failed to score.

“I don’t like Osimhen’s body language. When Osimhen doesn’t score, he switches to a different version of himself because he thrives on goals,” Ateş said.

The former Galatasaray forward also questioned Osimhen’s decision during an attacking move in which teammate Deniz Gül had an opportunity to score into an empty net.

Ateş argued that Osimhen should have chosen a different passing option to give Gül a clearer opportunity to find the net. He acknowledged, however, that the Nigerian did not deliberately deny his teammate the chance.

“He didn’t pass to Deniz Gül so he could score into an empty net. He didn’t pass to Deniz; he passed to Batrakov. It wasn’t intentional, but his choice was wrong,” he added.

Despite the criticism, Osimhen has maintained an impressive attacking record this season, registering six goals and three assists before the match against Gençlerbirliği.

The striker’s performance against Gençlerbirliği, however, attracted attention after he failed to extend his scoring or assisting streak, even as Galatasaray secured another league victory.

Ateş’s comments have added to discussions surrounding Osimhen’s on-field conduct, decision-making and role within Galatasaray’s attacking setup as the club continues its campaign.