Tribal Football

Atalanta striker Lookman makes statement after Gasperini blast: I'm hurt; it's deeply disrespectful

Carlos Volcano
Atalanta striker Lookman makes statement after Gasperini blast: I'm hurt; it's deeply disrespectful
Atalanta striker Lookman makes statement after Gasperini blast: I'm hurt; it's deeply disrespectfulAction Plus
Atalanta striker Ademola Lookman admits he felt insulted by coach Gian Piero Gasperini after last night's Champions League defeat to Club Brugge.

Gasperini hammered Lookman in the aftermath after the Nigeria striker failed from the penalty spot on the night.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The 3-1 home defeat saw La Dea lose the round 16 playoff 5-2 on aggregate.

After Gasperini's criticism, Lookman said this morning on social media: "It saddens me to have to write this statement on a day like this, especially for what we have achieved together as a team and as a city. To be singled out in the way I have not only hurts, but it also feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in every day to help bring success to this club and the incredible fans of Bergamo.

"In truth, I have faced many difficult moments during my time here, most of which I have never spoken about, in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more painful.

"Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are also suffering from last night's result. During the game, the designated penalty taker ordered me to take the penalty; and so, in support of the team, I took it upon myself to do so at that moment. Life is about challenges and turning pain into power, which I will continue to do."

Gasperini had said on Tuesday night: "He shouldn't have taken it, he's one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen. The penalty takers were De Ketelaere and Retegui, but he was obviously euphoric and this episode happened. We could have missed it with someone else, but it wasn't a nice gesture."