Ademola Lookman has replied to criticism comment made by his manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, following Atalanta's defeat to Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League.
Gasperini characterized Lookman as "one of the worst penalty takers I have ever seen" after Lookman had his penalty saved during the match.
In response, Lookman expressed that being singled out in such a manner is not only hurtful but also feels profoundly disrespectful.
Having recently returned from injury, Lookman entered the match as a substitute at halftime while Atalanta faced a significant deficit of 5-1 on aggregate. Remarkably, he was able to score just 36 seconds after his entry.
In light of Gasperini's remarks, Lookman issued a statement on Wednesday to articulate his perspective on the situation.
“It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement – most of all because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city.
Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo.
In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here – the majority of which I have never spoken about because in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.
Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too with last night’s result. During the match, the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so.
Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power which I’ll continue to do”.
