…Coach says Nigerian can be Atalanta captain
Gian Piero Gasperini expressed his satisfaction with Ademola Lookman following their impressive 4-0 victory against Juventus.
The two had recently had a public falling out after Lookman missed a penalty, leading to their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Club Brugge.
However, following his goal against Juventus on Sunday, Lookman embraced Gasperini when he was substituted in the 80th minute.
“When a group spends 300 days together in a year, disagreements can arise,” Gasperini commented after the match.
“Lookman has developed into a fantastic player by improving his understanding of the team. He previously had a more individualistic approach. While he wasn’t a bad teammate, he focused primarily on himself. He has made Atalanta great, and in return, Atalanta has made him great. I am confident that he can become the captain before the end of the season.”
He added, “This is football. You experience both victory and defeat, but it’s important to note that Juventus was coming off five consecutive wins.
“For many, this result was unexpected, but we delivered a perfect performance.”