UCL: Fans outraged as Atalanta Coach blasts Lookman over penalty miss

Ademola Lookman faced harsh criticism from his own manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, following Atalanta’s Champions League exit at the hands of Club Brugge on Tuesday night.

The Italian coach described the Nigerian forward as “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen” after Lookman missed a crucial spot-kick during Tuesday’s second-leg playoff in Bergamo.

Atalanta entered the fixture trailing 2-1 from the first leg, but their hopes of a comeback were dashed as Club Brugge dominated to establish a 3-0 lead on the night.

Lookman briefly reignited Atalanta’s hopes by scoring a goal just after halftime, reducing the aggregate score to 5-2.

However, his missed penalty in the 60th minute all but sealed his team’s fate, as former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet comfortably saved his attempt.

Following the match, Gasperini expressed his frustration, openly questioning why Lookman took the penalty in the first place.

“Lookman wasn’t supposed to take the penalty. He’s one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” Gasperini said. “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 Ketelaere being available. I didn’t like what Lookman did.”

Fans react to Gasperini’s comments

Gasperini’s remarks sparked a wave of reactions from fans, journalists, and analysts, many of whom criticized the coach for publicly humiliating one of his key players.

Nigerian journalist Ojora Babatunde stated: “When your coach, who is supposed to shield and protect you from external criticism, starts criticizing you openly, then something is wrong.”

An X user, Ghana Yes, slammed Gasperini’s comments: “He should shut up! This is a guy that has been holding the team since last year. He’s the reason why you won the Europa League last season, the reason why you’re third in the league now. And you’re blaming him because he missed a penalty in a match you were already losing?”

Another user, J’Wiz, noted: “Retegui has lost at least two penalties this season. You didn’t come out to address him in this manner. Show some respect, old man… Hypocrites!”

Alexis Rs suggested Lookman should consider leaving Atalanta: “If I were Lookman, I would be handing in my transfer request. Retegui missed a key penalty some weeks back, and no one questioned him.”

Juju Punter defended the Nigerian winger, arguing: “This is a guy who has been carrying the team, and it was evident as they struggled when he was injured. Even designated penalty takers miss sometimes. Why trash talk him? Poor PK by Lookman, but he didn’t deserve this.”

Some, however, sided with Gasperini. Nigerian OAP Olawale Adigun insisted: “Gasperini had every right to criticize Lookman. If you’re not the designated PK taker, step away! Even if you win the penalty!”

Similarly, Samshudeen Ayinde agreed: “God bless you, Olawale. Nigerians are just being emotional about Gasperini’s comments. If any player had done that at our favourite club and cost us UCL qualification, nobody would criticize the manager for his comment.”

Does Lookman have a poor penalty record?

While Gasperini painted Lookman as a poor penalty taker, the statistics tell a different story. According to Stathead, Lookman has actually outperformed other Atalanta players in penalty situations.

– In the 2022/23 season, Lookman converted all three of his penalty attempts for Atalanta, making him the club’s most successful spot-kick taker that year.

Meanwhile, designated taker Teun Koopmeiners only scored two of four penalties.

– In the 2023/24 season, Lookman did not take any penalties but still ended the term as one of Serie A’s top scorers.

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– In the current season, the Nigerian has converted his only penalty before the Club Brugge match, bringing his Atalanta tally to four successful penalties.

Based on these numbers, Lookman statistically doesn’t fit Gasperini’s claim that he is “one of the worst penalty takers”.

At most, the claim by the Italian manager appears to be exaggerated.

His words, rather than addressing the club’s shortcomings, have drawn unnecessary negative attention to a player who has been instrumental in Atalanta’s success.

With tensions rising, it remains to be seen whether Lookman will remain at Atalanta beyond this season or seek an exit from the club that seems to undervalue him.