Ademola Lookman of Atalanta has hit back at club manager Gian Piero Gasperini, calling his remarks following the team’s Champions League elimination on Tuesday “deeply disrespectful.”
Gasperini took aim at Lookman after the winger missed a penalty as Atalanta lost to Club Brugge 5-2 on aggregate in Tuesday’s Champions League elimination.
After returning from injury, the Nigerian entered the game as a halftime substitute for Atalanta’s Champions League play-off second leg.
Gasperini brought on the winger when the side was behind 5-1 overall, but it only took 36 seconds for them to score a goal.
On the hour mark, though, Lookman seemed to take the ball away from first-choice players Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui after Atalanta was granted a penalty. This became the game’s talking point.
He missed the spot kick, with Gasperini criticizing him after the game.
“Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” Gasperini said after the 5-2 aggregate defeat.
“He has a frankly terrible record; even in training, he converts very few of them. Retegui and De Ketelaere were there, but Lookman, in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring, decided to take the ball and that was a gesture I did not appreciate at all.”
In a statement he released on Wednesday in response to those comments, Lookman said: “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.
“Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo.
“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. During the match the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so. Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power which l’ll continue to do.”
