Atalanta boss Gasperini addresses Ademola Lookman’s penalty controversy

By Monsurah Olatunji

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has refused to apologize to Ademola Lookman following the Nigerian forward’s reaction to comments made about his penalty miss in a recent Champions League match.

After Atalanta’s exit from the competition at the hands of Club Brugge, Gasperini was critical of Lookman’s performance, calling him the “worst penalty taker.”

His remarks quickly became a point of contention, especially after Lookman was instructed to take the penalty by the team’s designated taker.

The African Player of the Year expressed his frustration on social media, calling Gasperini’s criticism “deeply disrespectful” and personally hurtful. The controversy surrounding the incident continued to dominate headlines.

In response, Gasperini addressed the situation in a press conference, clarifying that his intention was never to offend Lookman.

“Lookman felt offended… but I did not want to offend anyone! Ademola had entered with a fantastic approach against Club Brugge, and I do really value that highly,” Gasperini said.

He also suggested that Lookman should have deferred the penalty to teammate Charles De Ketelaere, as the designated taker.

However, Gasperini praised Lookman’s skills and potential, stating that with improvement in his penalty-taking ability, the Nigerian forward could become Atalanta’s first-choice penalty taker in the future.

“If he starts training to improve on penalties… with his exceptional skills, Ademola can surely become our first penalty taker for the future,” Gasperini added.

Despite the ongoing media attention, Gasperini made it clear that there was no ill intention behind his comments and emphasized that the team’s true focus should remain on moving forward from the controversy.

“I have the feeling that there is the will for Atalanta to be described as being like this, everything up in the air, but the reality is a bit different,” he concluded.