Fans of LaLiga side Sevilla are up in arms after a video of Chidera Ejuke surfaced online.
The Nigeria international, who is employed by the club, was seen playing on a dirt pitch back home in Nigeria, where he is enjoying his offseason.
His debut campaign with Los Nervionenses saw him score two goals and assist one in 25 appearances in all competitions, a disappointing return in a season in which the club flirted with relegation and went through managerial upheaval.
Chidera Ejuke playing football during his off-season in Nigeria. 🤐 pic.twitter.com/G4kJSCrhPk
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) June 10, 2025
Why are Sevilla fans upset with Chidera Ejuke?
There are a number of reasons why Sevilla fans are displeased with the video of Chidera Ejuke.
The first is that he was wearing a Valencia shirt. It is easy to deduce that this is an exchange with fellow Nigeria international Umar Sadiq, but the two clubs have a bit of a rivalry between them, and it is strange that the winger would not just wear his own jersey.
Another is that, in allowing himself to be recorded playing in the dirt, he was risking his physical wellbeing and displaying little regard for what the club and its fans may think of his actions.
The fact that, in the video, he actually embarrassed himself by falling over while attempting a dribble, was just the final straw.
Has Chidera Ejuke actually done anything wrong?
Far from it. For most professionals, the offseason, while a time to rest, is typically not spent simply idling away on their furniture. That would be a recipe for disaster, and would give them too much to do when preseason resumes.
There is generally a base level of fitness that top-level athletes like to maintain, and so from that point of view, Chidera Ejuke has done nothing wrong.
That said, could he maybe have picked a better playing surface? Probably. There are actual football pitches he could have used for his kickabout, and if there weren’t, he could have done a better job of keeping his activity private.
As for wearing a Valencia shirt, that was an avoidable own-goal, and betrayed a lack of knowledge of his club’s history and rivalries. He could simply have worn one of his own kits, or picked a neutral outfit to play in.
All in all, especially following a season in which he hardly distinguished himself, the release of the video was never going to do him any favours.
