Real reason Akor Adams missed Venezia’s friendly clash against Galatasaray

Super Eagles striker Akor Adams was a notable absentee as Venezia produced one of the standout results of pre-season by defeating Turkish champions Galatasaray 3-0, but his absence had nothing to do with injury or fitness, Afrik Foot reports.

Venezia secured an impressive victory courtesy of John Yeboah’s opener before Lion Lauberbach struck twice to complete the rout against a Galatasaray side that featured stars such as Victor Osimhen, Leroy Sané, İlkay Gündoğan, Lucas Torreira and Lesley Ugochukwu.

Many expected Adams to make his unofficial debut after completing his club-record move from Sevilla last week.

Instead, the Nigerian striker was left out of the matchday squad, prompting questions from supporters. The explanation, however, is not anything dramatic.

Bureaucratic formalities delayed Akor Adams’ debut

According to reports from Spain, Adams’ absence was purely due to administrative procedures following his transfer from Sevilla.

Although both clubs officially announced the deal, paperwork between Sevilla and Venezia was still being processed to complete the striker’s registration with the Italian football authorities.

Spanish outlet Diario de Sevilla explained that Sevilla even had to temporarily register Adams with LaLiga before his documentation could be transferred between the Spanish and Italian federations.

The process is a standard bureaucratic requirement whenever a player moves between two different national associations.

Until those documents are fully exchanged and approved, Adams cannot officially be registered as a Venezia player, making him unavailable for selection despite already signing his contract.

The report added that his omission from the Galatasaray fixture was “in principle due to bureaucratic procedures that still need to be resolved,” rather than any physical problem.

No cause for concern despite Galatasaray absence

For Venezia supporters, Adams’ absence may have raised concerns, particularly after the club invested around €23 million to secure his services from Sevilla.

The Nigerian only completed the move a few days before the friendly, meaning administrative formalities were always likely to determine whether he would feature.

Afrik Foot previously reported that Adams chose Venezia because he believes in the club’s long-term project despite interest from elsewhere in Europe.

The Serie A newcomers also view him as their marquee attacking signing ahead of their return to Italy’s top flight, making it unlikely that they would risk rushing any aspect of his registration.

Instead, Venezia opted to proceed without their new striker and still produced an encouraging performance against one of Turkey’s strongest sides.

Adams expected to make Venezia debut soon

With the transfer now officially completed, attention will shift to finalising the remaining paperwork that will allow Adams to become eligible for selection.

Once that process is completed, the Super Eagles forward is expected to begin his first minutes in Venezia colours before the start of the new Serie A campaign.

The club begin their league season against Lecce on August 23, giving Adams sufficient time to integrate into the squad after his registration is finalised.

Before that, they still have to play friendly games against Saint-Etienne and Brest.