Breaher Lookman struck furiously back on Gian Piero Gasperini’s “disrespectful” comments about his penalty -Miss in the defeat of Atalanta against Club Brugge, where his manager labeled him “one of the worst penalty makers I have ever seen”.
Atalanta was beaten out of the Champions League by the Belgian side because of a 5-2 total defeat in the Knock-Rondonde play-offs, with a 3-1 defeat in Bergamo on Tuesday evening that sealed their fate.
After he had gone 3-0 during the break, LOOKMAN scored the only goal of his team in the night in the second half after returning an absence of three games with a knee injury.
But the moment that the hope of Atalanta seemed to kill a comeback when the 27-year-old saw his penalty saved by Simon Mignolet shortly afterwards.
After the game, manager Giasperini said: “Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalt types I have ever seen.
“He has a candidly terrible record, even in training, he converts very little of them. Retegui and the Ketelaere were there, but lookman decided to take the ball in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring and that was a gesture that I did not appreciate at all. “
Lookman Slams Giaperini’s comments
The Nigeria International, who was recently named African Footballer of the Year, has now publicly expressed himself against his manager for his comments after the game.
Lookman wrote on X and said: “It finds me one day like this to write this statement – especially because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city.
“It is chosen the way I not only hurt, but also feel deeply respectful, not least because of the immense hard work and the dedication I have always stabbed in every day to help bring success in This club and the incredible fans of Bergamo.
“In reality, during my time I treated here with many difficult moments – the majority that I have never spoken before, because in my opinion the team must always be protected and first have to come. This makes what happened last night.
“Together with our incredible fans, we as a team also hurt the result of last night. During the game, the designated penalty taker gave me to take the penalty; And to support the team, I took responsibility at the moment to do this.
“Life is about challenges and converting pain into power, what I will continue to do.”
– Adimola Lookman (@alookman_) February 19, 2025
Lookman came to Atalanta of RB Leipzig in 2022, scored 47 goals and gave 23 assists in 106 performances for the Bergamo -based club.
The former Everton and Fulham Forward scored a hat trick in the final when Atalanta won the Europa League for their very first major European honor ever.
He also scored three goals for Nigeria during the Super Eagles’ Run to the Africa Cup of Nations Final last year.
