Osimhen: ‘The AIC award represents all of Naples, I’m proud to have won it’
Joins the likes of Buffon, Cristiano Ronaldo, Prilo and Ibrahimovic as winners
Victor Osimhen has dedicated his Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) Footballer of the Year award to all and everything connected to Napoli.
The Nigeria international was on Monday night officially crowned Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) Footballer of the Year after a marvellous season in front of goal
for Napoli.
The 24 year old has thus joined the likes of Rafael Leao, Gianluigi Buffon, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrea Prilo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic who have all won the
award.
The Nigerian led the line in Napoli’s first title-winning season in 33 years, and he and his teammates were recognised across various categories on Monday
evening.
Osimhen was selected as the 2023 winner largely thanks to his goalscoring contributions. During Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign, the Nigerian found the
net on 26 occasions from 32 Serie A appearances.
His 26 goals were the most scored by any player in the Serie A last season and the Nigerian thus became the first African in history to top score in a single
Serie A season.
Despite a tougher start to the 2023-24 campaign and recent struggles with injury, Osimhen has continued his impressive goals-per-game ratio, with six from 10
after the 14th gameweek.
Osimhen says the award is not for him alone.
‘Those who know me know that I don’t want all the awards for myself. I’m a team player, I share the award with Kvara, with my teammates who were fundamental to last year’s success.
‘This award goes to them, to Spalletti, to De Laurentiis, to all the fans: they deserve it. This award represents all of Naples, I’m proud to have won it, it’s very important for me,’ said the Nigerian who is the top scoring African in the history of the Serie A.
All The Winners
FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR: Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Luciano Spalletti (Napoli, now Italy coach);
REFEREE OF THE YEAR: Daniele Orsato;
COMPANY OF THE YEAR: Naples;
BEST YOUNG SERIES B: Giovanni Fabbian (Reggina, now at Bologna);
BEST MALE GOAL: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli) in Napoli-Atalanta, 11 March 2023.
