3 days ago
19
Ademola Lookman has expressed disappointment over comments made by Gian Piero Gasperini regarding his penalty miss, saying he felt “deeply disrespected” by the Atalanta manager’s remarks.
Atalanta suffered a 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge on Tuesday in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off tie, crashing out of the competition with a 5-2 aggregate loss. Lookman, who made his return from a knee injury as a half-time substitute, scored just seconds after coming on but later missed a penalty.
Following the match, Gasperini criticised the forward for taking the penalty, stating that Lookman is “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen” and should have allowed a more reliable teammate to step up instead.
Responding in a statement on Wednesday, Lookman said he was hurt by the comments, adding that “being singled out in the manner I have been” diminishes “the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club.”
The Nigerian international also clarified that Atalanta’s designated penalty taker had asked him to take the spot-kick, and he took responsibility to support the team.
“It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement – most of all because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city,” Lookman said.
“In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here – the majority of which I have never spoken about because, in my opinion, the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.
“Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too with last night’s result. Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power, which I’ll continue to do.”
Lookman has scored 15 goals in all competitions for Atalanta this season. The Italian club managed just one win in four matches during his injury absence.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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