Atalanta head coach, Gian Piero Gasperini has strongly criticized Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman, calling him the worst penalty taker he has ever seen following their 3-1 loss to Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 playoffs.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Atalanta needed a big performance at home to overturn the deficit against Club Brugge. Lookman, who missed the first leg due to a knee injury, was expected to inspire a comeback in the return fixture.
However, things took a disastrous turn early on, as Brugge stormed to a 3-0 lead before halftime with goals from Chemsdine Talbi and Ferran Jutgla. Lookman was introduced at the break and made an immediate impact, scoring within a minute of the restart.
The Nigerian forward had a golden opportunity to further reduce the deficit in the 60th minute, but his penalty attempt was saved by Simon Mignolet. That miss ultimately sealed Atalanta’s fate, as they crashed out of the competition with a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
After the match, Gasperini did not hold back his frustration, openly criticizing Lookman for taking the penalty instead of allowing teammates Charles De Ketelaere or Mateo Retegui to step up.
“Ademola Lookman is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” Gasperini said, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. “He wanted to take the penalty after scoring a goal. He took the ball despite Retegui and De Ketelaere being available… I didn’t like what Lookman did.”
While Lookman’s miss was costly, Gasperini’s comments appear harsh. Atalanta does not have a fixed penalty taker, with Lookman, De Ketelaere, Mario Pasalic, and Retegui all sharing spot-kick duties this season.
Furthermore, Atalanta has struggled with penalties throughout the campaign. Retegui missed one against Arsenal in the group stage, while Pasalic squandered a crucial spot-kick against Torino, leading to a loss. Before the Brugge game, Lookman had taken just one penalty in his Atalanta career—and he scored it.
Penalty-taking is often unpredictable, with even world-class players missing from the spot. Gasperini’s public criticism could strain his relationship with Lookman, especially with top European clubs reportedly monitoring the Nigerian forward. If tensions rise, Lookman may consider a move away from Atalanta in the summer.
