African football legend Samuel Eto’o has sent a message to Ademola Lookman following the penalty incident for Atalanta.
Inter Milan treble-winning legend Samuel Eto’o has publicly expressed his support for Atalanta striker Ademola Lookman following a dispute with coach Gian Piero Gasperini following the penalty incident.
Lookman admitted feeling “hurt” by Gasperini’s criticism after missing a penalty in Atalanta’s 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge, a loss that led to their Champions League elimination. The coach harshly labeled the Nigerian forward as “one of the worst penalty takers” he had encountered, prompting Lookman to respond by calling the remarks disrespectful. The tension led the club to hold an emergency meeting to resolve the situation.
Eto’o, who now serves as the president of the Cameroon FA, took to social media to show his support for Lookman. Posting on Instagram, he wrote:
“My young brother, memory in football lasts 90 minutes, the duration of a match, and then it’s on to the next one. For us, you are and will always be a champion. Only those with the courage to take the shot can miss. Thank you for your bravery, great champion.”
Eto’o’s message was accompanied by an image of Lookman celebrating with the Europa League gold medal from last season, when Atalanta triumphed 3-0 over Bayer Leverkusen in the final, thanks to Lookman’s stunning hat-trick.
The Nigerian forward also received support from other football greats, including Alessandro Del Piero, as the fallout from the penalty miss continued to stir reactions.
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