Nigeria Players Abroad
Serie A: Gasperini admits substitution error After Lookman’s early exit against Lazio
By Wale Mustapha
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has admitted that Nigerian striker Ademola Lookman was mistakenly substituted during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio in Serie A on Sunday.
Lookman was replaced in the 75th minute of the match, with Atalanta trailing and in desperate need of an equalizer. Gasperini later revealed that the substitution was intended for Brazilian defender Ederson, not Lookman.
The Italian coach explained that a mix-up occurred between the names “Ede” (Ederson) and “Ade” (Lookman), which led to the unfortunate error.
With no time left to reverse the decision after the fourth official raised Lookman’s number, Gasperini’s team was forced to continue with the mistake.
“There was a mistake. Only Retegui was subbed to come off. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding between ‘Ede’ [Ederson] and ‘Ade’ [Lookman], and we paid a high price for it,” Gasperini told DAZN after the match.
The defeat has put a significant dent in Atalanta’s title hopes, as they now trail leaders Inter Milan by 10 points, with 58 points from 31 matches.
Atalanta will look to bounce back in their next Serie A fixture against Bologna at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.
