Ademola Lookman’s return to action should have been a moment of celebration for Atalanta. Instead, it has been overshadowed by a stinging remark from Gian Piero Gasperini, who publicly criticized the Nigerian for missing a penalty in their 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League playoffs.
The reigning CAF Men’s Player of the Year, who had been out for six weeks due to injury, came off the bench at halftime and made an immediate impact, scoring just 35 seconds into the second half. It was a moment that gave Atalanta renewed hope, but he went on to miss a spot kick in the 61st minute.
After the game, Gasperini took aim at Lookman’s penalty record, labeling him as “the worst penalty taker” and seemingly pinning Atalanta’s elimination on his miss from the spot. This is despite the fact that Atalanta were already trailing 3-0 by halftime, with their 2-1 first-leg deficit compounding their struggles.
Agreed, Lookman has not been Atalanta’s primary penalty taker. The responsibility has been shared between Charles De Ketelaere, Mario Pasalic, and Mateo Retegui this season, none of whom have been flawless from 12 yards.
Retegui himself missed a penalty against Arsenal earlier in the competition, while Pasalic fluffed his chance from the spot against Torino, a miss that cost Atalanta valuable points in Serie A.
For Gasperini to single out Lookman in this manner raises questions, especially as the Nigeria international had taken only one penalty for Atalanta before Tuesday night, and scored it. To frame him as a poor taker is both unfair and misleading.
Lookman faces Gasperini’s wrath in Gomez-like fallout
If Atalanta’s failure in the Champions League hinged on anything, it was their disastrous first half, not Lookman’s penalty miss.
They conceded twice in the opening half-hour and were 5-1 down on aggregate, making their task almost impossible before Lookman even stepped onto the pitch.
Yet, instead of addressing his team’s collective failure or his own tactical underperformance, Gasperini deflected the blame onto one player, the same player who has been his best performer over the last two seasons.
Lookman has scored five goals and provided two assists in seven Champions League appearances this season. Without him, Atalanta wouldn’t have been in this stage of the competition in the first place.
This is not the first time Gasperini has clashed with a key player. In 2021, Atalanta legend Alejandro ‘Papu' Gomez left the club after a well-documented fallout with the coach, which allegedly included a physical altercation.
Gomez later revealed that Gasperini refused to apologize for his actions, forcing him to seek an exit.
The Lookman situation may not be as extreme yet, but it has the potential to cause friction. The 26-year-old is one of Atalanta’s most important players, yet he has now been publicly criticized in a way that could affect his morale.
With top clubs reportedly monitoring Lookman, this could accelerate his decision to seek a move away from Bergamo in the summer.
Having delivered Atalanta’s first-ever European trophy with his Europa League heroics last season, Lookman deserved better than to be scapegoated for a collective failure.
