There are always arguments for and against criticising players in public. Some take the view that things should be kept behind closed doors. Some that it can motivate a player to be called out. In individual cases (ETH comments on Sancho / Amorim on Rashford) some felt that the coaches were simply answering questions factually, others that they were burning bridges. It's rare to get such a clear-cut case as Atalanta manager Gasperini talking about Ademola Lookman following Atalanta's exit from the Champions League.
Some context. Last season, Atalanta won the Europa League, the club's first ever trophy, with Lookman scoring a hat-trick in the final to destroy the favourites Leverkusen, who until the final match of the season had not lost a single match. This season Atalanta are sitting third in Serie A, just five points off leaders Napoli and genuine title contenders.
In the CL play-off round Atalanta had lost the away leg to Club Brugge 2-1. In the home leg, with Lookman not picked as a starter, Atalanta had a disastrous first half, going in at half-time 0-3, and 1-5 on aggregate. Lookman came on as a substitute for the second half and immediately scored. 2-5. Later in the half, Lookman took and missed a very bad penalty. The tie ended 5-2 in favour of Club Brugge.
Interviewed after the game, Gasperini then launched into Lookman:
"Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen. He has a frankly terrible record even in training, he converts very few of them. Retegui and De Ketelaere were there, but Lookman in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring decided to take the ball and that was a gesture I did not appreciate at all."
Lookman later clarified that the designated penalty taker had requested he take the penalty, rather than his own initiative. Meanwhile, Lookman had taken four penalties in his Atalanta career and scored all of them. More generally, it's curious that the manager focused his ire on Lookman. Over four halves of football against Brugge, he played only one. The aggregate score without Lookman was 1-5. Lookman played the only 45 minutes in which Atalanta outscored Brugge, scoring the only goal. In the same match that the team (with the striker on the bench) shipped 0-3 at home before half time, and in which Atalanta's captain earned a red card for pushing an opponent, Gasperini chose to single out their star striker, who gave them the greatest night in the club's history just nine months ago, for accepting the ball when the designated penalty taker didn't fancy it. And he chose to do it in such a demeaning way. Just when the team is entering the home straight in a league campaign where they have their best every opportunity to claim the Serie A title.
What a twаt!
Throwing Lookman under the bus
posted on 21/2/25
comment by Baz tard - ineos your face (U19119)
posted 2 minutes ago
If lookman wants out, happily have him at utd…
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We spent a huge amount on his deputy instead
posted on 21/2/25
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 22 minutes ago
Silver, according to Transfermarkt, Lookman was out with a knee injury for three weeks from the end of January. Missed six matches, including the first leg, and coming on as a second half substitute in this week's match was his first football since the injury.
Prior to the playoff against Club Brugge, he played six out of seven CL group matches, scoring four and assisting twice. Has ten goals in 19 league appearances (mainly playing as a second striker), which puts him fourth in Serie A scorers this season.
Doesn't seem like he's having a problematic season apart from the injury.
https://www.transfermarkt.us/ademola-lookman/verletzungen/spieler/406040/
https://www.transfermarkt.us/ademola-lookman/leistungsdaten/spieler/406040
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Fair point - not followed that close since our away draw with them in the league phase though others are suggesting he wants away - there's your story, right?
posted on 21/2/25
But maybe he’s reeeeeealy sh-t at penalties in training?
I know it wasn’t the most professional thing to say but hasn’t Gasperini also been pretty instrumental in helping revive Lookman’s career?
posted on 21/2/25
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 11 minutes ago
But maybe he’s reeeeeealy sh-t at penalties in training?
I know it wasn’t the most professional thing to say but hasn’t Gasperini also been pretty instrumental in helping revive Lookman’s career?
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Maybe, but the penalty miss late in the tie wasn't the reason Atalanta lost. They lost because the shipped three goals in the first half of the home tie when Lookman wasn't on the field. Seems to me that Lookman should have been way down Gasperini's list of recriminations. Not only did he foreground the penalty miss, but chose to do it in an especially demeaning way.
posted on 21/2/25
others are suggesting he wants away - there's your story, right?
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Maybe he wants away. I haven't seen any reports that suggest he has been actively agitating to leave or that he's been unprofessional about it.
posted on 21/2/25
Pretty sure I’ve read that Lookman wants out before these recent comments. I think ever since his performance in the EL final last season he’s been angling a move to a bigger club.
posted on 21/2/25
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 46 minutes ago
Pretty sure I’ve read that Lookman wants out before these recent comments. I think ever since his performance in the EL final last season he’s been angling a move to a bigger club.
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I checked the reports. There are indeed media reports about Lookman being open to a move from last summer. Lots of players decide they want to move clubs. I didn't find any reports of a fall-out or Lookman pushing for a move. Maybe there's a breakdown of relationships behind the scenes. But it seems unnecessarily destructive to single him out like this when the club has everything to play for over the next three months and has much more chance of glory with him feeling the love rather than the hate.
posted on 21/2/25
Lookman published a reply to Gasperini's outburst in which he spoke about his disappointment and alluded somewhat cryptically to other things that had gone on behind the scenes in his time there.
I suppose there are rumours in Bergamo as to what those problems are, but I haven't read about it in the media.
All that aside, the captain's sending off was absolutely superb. It was just a few scantily-clad lasses away from a Benny Hill sketch.
posted on 21/2/25
Like I said, Gasperini has been pretty important in Lookman's revival. Before he joined Atalanta he was a journeyman never really performing well or settling down at one club while also being considered very talented. Gasperini has been instrumental for quite a few player's careers at Atalanta and the other clubs he's managed I think and it's clear he's a very good manager.
It was unprofessional of Gasperini to single out Lookman but when you consider how much he has also done for the lad's career it's not that bad imo.
Sometimes I think people need to grow a pair when it comes to football these days (I don't mean you Russian). All he said was that he's terrible at penalties.
I remember when Ferguson singled out Nani for a defeat at Chelsea once. It seemed harsh but at the time I could totally imagine Nani driving you mad as a manager, maybe Gasperini felt the same.
posted on 22/2/25
1982, maybe I am reading too much into it. With Fergie everyone talks about how he was a genius at knowing what form of motivation different players needed - encouraging / berating - and when. I don't know whether Gasperini is that person. Also don't know whether he personally resurrected Lookman's career or whether the player happened to come to a system that suited him just as he was entering his prime years, and was yet another player who looked much better in Serie A than the PL.