Gasperini apologizes after Lookman's penalty debacle!

Gasperini apologizes after Lookman's penalty debacle!

In Atalanta Bergamo's dramatic Champions League exit against Club Brugge, which ended with a 3-1 defeat on Tuesday, striker Ademola Lookman found himself in the firing line of his coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The experienced coach criticized Lookman sharply after the missed penalty, which he wanted to take himself despite better-suited teammates. “Ademola Lookman is one of the worst penalty takers I have ever seen,” was Gasperini's scathing assessment in the post-match press conference Sky Sports reported.

LOOKMAN FEEL THE PRESSURE! Lookman caused a stir shortly after the restart when he scored the goal. However, his dream was quickly dashed by the nightmare of a missed penalty. “It makes me feel like I’m not being respected,” said the Nigerian, disappointed after his coach’s harsh criticism. In an emotional Instagram post, he explained that he was asked to take the penalty and that he wanted to take responsibility to help his team. Gasperini, in turn, later apologized: “My statement was not meant as an insult,” said the coach, who emphasized that Lookman had made a decisive contribution to the game, despite the missed penalty Laola1 reported.

The exit from the premier class was particularly bitter for Atalanta, as the northern Italians fell behind by conceding three goals in the first half. A disappointing display that was compounded by a chaotic scene in first-half injury time when captain Rafael Toloi was shown a red card for his aggressiveness, underlining the frustrated mood within the team. “The team always played with dignity, except for the Toloi thing,” said Gasperini, aptly summing up the precarious situation.