In a recent interview, former Champions League-winning manager José Mourinho has revealed what he considers a significant issue with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen’s playing style. Mourinho, currently managing Turkish club Fenerbahce, spoke about Osimhen’s transfer to Galatasaray, his team’s arch-rivals.
Mourinho, who is familiar with Osimhen from their time in Serie A—when the Portuguese manager led AS Roma and Osimhen excelled at Napoli—praised the striker’s talent but expressed a concern that has troubled him in their previous encounters.
Mourinho stated,
“He’s an incredible talent. Galatasaray have secured a fantastic player. I’ve never had an issue with him personally, but there’s one thing about him that irritates me when he’s on the opposing team. During one of our Roma-Napoli encounters, I took the time to speak with him. I told him, ‘You and Salah are currently the best African players, following in the footsteps of legends like Drogba, Eto’o, and Weah. But you cannot continue to play the way you do.’ He tends to go down too easily, and that’s where my problem lies.”
Mourinho’s comments highlight his appreciation of Osimhen’s abilities, while also pointing out the striker’s tendency to go down easily during matches as a point of frustration.