Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman, has responded to harsh criticism from his coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, following his missed penalty during their 3-1 loss to Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League.
Lookman scored for Atalanta at the start of the second half, giving his team hope. However, he later missed a penalty that could have changed the game’s momentum. The match ended in a 5-2 aggregate loss, leading to Atalanta’s exit from the competition.
After the match, Atalanta’s coach, Gasperini, did not hide his disappointment. He said, “Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty. He is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen. Even in training, he converts very few of them. Retegui and De Ketelaere were available, but Lookman, in a moment of enthusiasm, decided to take the ball. That was a gesture I did not appreciate at all.”
Gasperini added that Charles De Ketelaere or Mateo Retegui were the designated penalty takers, but Lookman chose to take the kick himself.
Reacting to the criticism, Lookman released a statement on his social media page, saying he was hurt by the remarks. He wrote, “It saddens me on a day like this 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.”
Lookman explained that the designated penalty taker had instructed him to take the penalty. He added, “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 I’ll continue to do.”
Lookman’s missed penalty proved costly as Atalanta failed to overturn their deficit, leading to their exit from the competition.
