Vincent Osimhen recently fell out with Napoli after the club shared a video on TikTok appearing to mock the Nigerian striker for missing a penalty in a match against Bologna, which they drew 0-0.
The footage included a caricature voice saying “gimme penalty please”.
Thereafter, there were rumours that the striker would leave the club when his agent, Roberto Calenda, said his player would seek legal action regarding the video.
The Italian champions later released a statement stating that they “never meant to offend” the 24-year-old.
In this article, FootballOrbit brings you 10 stories of footballers who infamously fell out of favour with their clubs or managers.
1. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
During his time at Manchester City, Carlos Tevez fell out with manager Roberto Mancini when he refused to come on as a substitute in an UEFA Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
City were trailing 2-0 when the sulking striker threw a strop and failed to budge when Mancini asked him to warm up ahead of coming on.
The Argentine striker was hit with a £500,000 fine and suspended for two weeks over the incident, and ordered to apologise to the club’s supporters.
As a result, he went on strike until February of the following year. City tried to sell him during the January transfer window but to no avail. During the impasse, Tevez was even pictured enjoying a round of golf.
Tevez belatedly apologised for his actions and was welcomed back into the first-team squad by Mancini, who was keen to draw a line under the whole affair.
Tevez responded to pundits questioning his commitment by celebrating with a golf swing after scoring a hat-trick against Norwich on his return to action.
2. Joey Barton (Manchester City)
Joey Barton was fined £100,000 and suspended by Man City until the end of the 2006/07 season on 1 May 2007, following an incident during training when he assaulted his teammate Ousmane Dabo.
Dabo said that he had been hit several times, was left unconscious, and had to go to hospital after suffering injuries to his head — including a suspected detached retina.
Dabo requested that the police press charges against Barton, and as a result, Barton was arrested and questioned by Greater Manchester Police.
Eventually, this altercation ended Joey Barton’s time at Manchester City.
3. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
In January 2018, Arsenal smashed their wage structure to keep Mesut Ozil at the Emirates, agreeing to pay him a staggering £350,000 per week.
The midfielder failed to justify that bumper pay rise as he became a rotational player, left out of the starting line-up for certain matches.
Even Unai Emery’s eventual exit did nothing to improve Ozil’s fortunes, with Mikel Arteta excluding him from his 25-man Premier League squad for the 2020/21 season
Later, Arsenal distanced themselves from comments made by Ozil on Instagram, in which he spoke out strongly against China’s persecution of the Uighur population in the north-western region of Xinjiang and criticised Muslims for not doing more to highlight the issue.
The club sought to limit any damage caused to its business in China — where it has numerous commercial interests including a chain of restaurants — by releasing a statement on Weibo (a leading Chinese social media site) as well as other platforms stressing it is apolitical and does not associate itself with Ozil’s views.
Ultimately, the Gunners terminated Ozil’s contract.
4. Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Recently, Victor Osimhen got enraged when Napoli posted a video on TikTok, mocking the striker for missing a penalty against Bologna.
In the background, a high-pitched voice screamed “gimme penalty please”. A second video was also posted, seemingly comparing the striker to a coconut.
Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, claimed that he and his client could pursue legal action against the Serie A club. To add further fuel to the fire, the 24-year-old removed all mention of Napoli from his Instagram account.
Subsequently, Napoli issued a statement describing the post as unintentional, with many of the striker’s fans still left unsatisfied.
However, the Nigerian poured some cold water on the heat by reinstating his commitment to the Serie A champions.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag were always going to be a difficult match, and so it proved during the forward’s short-lived spell under the Dutchman at Old Trafford.
A storm was already brewing before the pair had even met, with Ronaldo pushing hard to leave Manchester United after they failed to secure Champions League qualification during his comeback 2021/22 season.
That move away never materialised and Ronaldo’s decision to leave a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano early did little to repair his relationship with the United faithful.
Things got even worse during a Premier League defeat to Tottenham in October, with the forward refusing to come on as a late substitute and subsequently storming down the tunnel.
Any hope of reigniting his second stint at United was then decisively extinguished in November when Ronaldo agreed to a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan. During the sit-down, he criticised Ten Hag, the Glazer family and even former team-mate Wayne Rooney.
Unsurprisingly, he was released not long after and soon signed for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League to become the highest paid player in the world.
6. William Gallas (Chelsea)
Trying to force a move away from Chelsea to Arsenal, William Gallas threatened to score an own goal and get himself sent off if he were forced to play for the Blues again.
Furthermore, it was also suggested that he had refused to play in the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool the previous season.
Gallas rejected Chelsea’s claim and accused the West Londoners of “lack[ing] class” and “hiding behind false accusations.”
7. Pierre van Hooijdonk (Nothingham Forest)
Pierre van Hooijdonk helped Nottingham Forest gain promotion to the Premier League with a stunning 1997/98 season that included 34 goals scored.
He often clashed with manager Dave Bassett, though, and eventually attempted to engineer a move away from the City Ground. The manager refused to let him go, despite Newcastle reportedly offering £7 million ($8.5m).
When Van Hooijdonk returned from World Cup duty in 1998, he believed the club was not well-positioned to start the new season.
The striker asked for a transfer and cited an agreement that allowed him to move at the end of the season should he wish. The owners refused, so Van Hooijdonk went on strike.
The protest lasted till November, when he reluctantly agreed to return. He scored just 6 goals that season and Forest ended up relegated. He eventually moved to the Netherlands, joining Vitesse for £3.5m ($4.2m)
8. Dimitri Payet (West Ham)
Dimitri Payet is well-known for his 18-month spell with West Ham, where he dazzled the Premier League with his set-piece ability, dribbling skills and wonderful technique, eventually being named in the PFA Team of the Year and being nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year for 2016.
Following this, and his outstanding displays at Euro 2016 for France, Payet was the subject of a lot of interest from top clubs around Europe, but he appeared to commit himself to West Ham, signing a new lucrative contract that would have kept him at the club until 2021.
However, his time in England ended on a controversial note, with the former French international seemingly downing tools and refusing to play for the club during his last few months at the London Stadium.
Eventually, he completed a £25m move back to Marseille.
Such a saga did not sit well with Hammers fans, who voiced their anger at Payet’s actions. To this day, West Ham fans remain bitter about Payet’s exit.
9. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United)
Jadon Sancho has not featured for Manchester United since he was dropped for the Red Devils’ 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on September 3rd.
Erik Ten Hag explained that the England international had been falling below expectations in training, but Sancho publicly rubbished his manager’s claim and said that he has been used as a scapegoat since joining the club in 2021.
Ten Hag subsequently banished Sancho from all first-team areas of United’s Carrington training ground.
10. Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland)
In the build-up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Robbie Keane voiced his issues with Republic of Ireland being based in Saipan, including the training pitch and travel arrangements in an explosive interview with the Irish Times.
National team manager, Mick McCarthy, blasted Keane for his behaviour, so the fiery midfielder unleashed his own fury.
“Mick, you’re a liar… you’re a f****** w*****. I didn’t rate you as a player, I don’t rate you as a manager, and I don’t rate you as a person. You can stick your World Cup up your a***,” he said.
“The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country. You can stick it up your b*******.”
Consequently, Keane was sent home from the World Cup in disgrace.
