ADEMOLA LOOKMAN responds to Gasperini’s’ Worst Criminal Penalty ‘Comments’ after Miss VS Club Brugge
Ademola Lookman said furiously at the “disrespect” of the commentary on Gian Pieri Gaperini about his criminal miss in the defeat of Atalanta of Club Brugge, where his manager labeled him “one of the worst seductors of the penalty I ever seen.”
Atalanta threw the Belgian side out of the Champions League thanks to a total of 5-2 in play-offs with a knockout, with a 3-1 defeat in Bergam on Tuesday night, sealing their fate.
After dropping 3-0 at halftime, the lookman scored the only goal of his team on the night of the beginning of the second half after returning from the absence of three games with a knee injury.
But the moment, which seemed to have killed Atalant’s hope that he would return, when the 27-year-old soon saw that his penalty had saved Simon Mignolet.
After the game, manager Giaperini said: “The lookman should not have taken that penalty.
“He has a sincerely terrible record even in training, he turns them very little. Retegui and de Ketelaere were there, but the lookman at the time of enthusiasm after the scoring decided to take the ball and that was a gesture that I didn’t appreciate at all.”
Lookman Slams Giaperini’s comments
The Nigerian international, who was recently named the African football player of the year, has now spoken publicly against his manager for his comments after the match.
Writing on X, the lookman said: “It regrets me on such a day that I would have to write this statement – mostly because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city.
“I was separated in a way that not only pains me, but I feel deep disrespect, not the least because of the huge hard work and dedication that I have always put in every day to help connect this club and amazing fans of Bergamo.
“In fact, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here – most I have never talked about because, in my opinion, the team must always be protected and must be in the first place. Because of what happened, even more harmful last night.
“With our amazing fans, we, as a team, are also struggling with last night’s result. During the match, the marked penitent ordered me to take the punishment; and to support the team, I took responsibility in the moment to do so.
“Life is about challenges and converting pain to power, which I will continue to do.”
– Ademola LOOKMAN (@ALOOKMAN_) 19. February 2025
The lookman was joined by Atalanta from RB Leipzig 2022, scoring 47 goals and giving 23 assists in 106 appearances for the club headquartered in Bergamo.
Former Everton and Fulham striker scored a hat-trick in the finals while Atalanta won the Europa League for his first ever major European honor.
He also scored three goals for Nigeria while running the Super Eagles to the finals of the African Cup of Nations last year.
