The head coach of Atalanta, Gian Piero Gasperini has responded to the penalty incident involving Ademola Lookman which has caused a lot of controversy between both parties.
Gian Piero Gasperini termed the Nigerian as the worst penalty-taker in the world after he missed a penalty against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League. Ademola Lookman responded to him by expressing his disappointment that was made by the Italian, stating that the game was more of a team sport which means no player should be singlehandedly blamed for the poor result.
What happened between Gian Piero Gasperini and Ademola Lookman
He expressed his displeasure, stating that it was not the responsibility of Lookman to take penalties because the team had its designated penalty taker.
“Lookman wasn’t supposed to take the penalty. He’s one of the worst penalty-takers I’ve ever seen. Even in training, he has a very low percentage. He kicks them really badly. He wanted to take the penalty after scoring a goal. He took the ball despite [Mateo] Retegui and [Charles] De Keteleare available to take it. I didn’t like what Lookman did.”
What did Ademola Lookman say about Gian Piero Gasperini’s statement?
“It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement – most of all because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city. Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo. In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here – the majority of which I have never spoken about because in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful. Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too with last night’s result. During the match, the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so. Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power which I’ll continue to do”.
What was Gianni Piero Gasperini response to Ademola Lookman?
“Lookman felt offended, but I didn’t want to offend anyone. He entered with fantastic approach against Club Brugge. If he starts training to improve on penalties… with his exceptional skills Ademola can become our first penalty taker”.
Atalanta’s attention will move to the Serie A as they will be looking to a comfortable position that will guarantee them a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season.
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