By Dayo Awoniyi
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has fuelled speculation of a rift with Atalanta manager Ivan Juric after unfollowing the club on all social media platforms and deleting posts related to the Italian side.
The move comes just days after a heated touchline exchange between Lookman and Juric during Atalanta’s Champions League win over Olympique Marseille.
Tensions flared when Lookman, visibly frustrated at being substituted in the second half, appeared to exchange words with Juric, who grabbed the Nigerian by the arm as emotions ran high. Coaching staff were forced to step in to prevent the situation from escalating.
Juric, however, sought to play down the incident in his post-match comments.
“These things happen,” the Croatian tactician said. “You talk and exchange views, and the rapport becomes better than before. Ademola is a particular kind of guy. It’s all sorted — we just move on.”
Despite Juric’s attempt to defuse the situation publicly, Lookman’s decision to sever digital ties with the club suggests lingering tension behind the scenes.
The 26-year-old winger, one of Atalanta’s standout performers this season, has been instrumental in the club’s strong domestic and European campaigns.
His recent social media actions, however, have left fans questioning whether his relationship with Juric — and his future in Bergamo — may now be strained.
As speculation mounts, neither Lookman nor Atalanta have issued an official statement addressing the situation.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
