Galatasaray board member dismisses Osimhen pitch injury claim: 'Give back money you earned'
Galatasaray Sports Club Advisory Board member Turcan Bolayır has rejected reports that Victor Osimhen's knee injury resulted from poor pitch conditions at Rams Park. Osimhen, Nigeria's star striker, sustained the injury during last week's Champions League match against Stuttgart.
Bolayır told Le Marca Sports: "Osimhen got injured because of the pitch; I don't believe it, man. We had players who changed shirts eight times on muddy pitches. Fine, then you'll have to give back the money you earned for not playing in those matches." The club has also shut down similar pitch theories regarding teammate Rafael Leão's injury.
For Nigerian fans, this matters because Osimhen's availability is critical for Super Eagles campaigns. The injury timeline remains unclear—Galatasaray hasn't specified his return date. Bolayır's comments suggest the club may pressure Osimhen to return sooner rather than later, potentially risking re-injury.
The "give back money" rhetoric signals tension between club expectations and player welfare. Osimhen's camp has not publicly responded.
Should Nigerian football authorities intervene to protect their key asset, or trust Galatasaray's medical team to manage the recovery?