The relationship between Ademola Lookman and Gian Piero Gasperini, head coach of Atalanta, is facing considerable turmoil, particularly illustrated by recent events involving missed penalties during their Champions League campaign against Club Brugge. This situation begs the question: how did things get to this point?
Tensions between Lookman and Gasperini began to escalate last summer when Lookman returned to preseason training as a hero after his hat trick helped Atalanta defeat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League. Following this impressive performance, the spotlight shifted to him, attracting the attention of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which caused friction with Atalanta. The direct approach from PSG to negotiate with Lookman, without prior discussion with Atalanta, angered the Italian side as they were trying to retain the promising young talent.
Atalanta’s need to keep Lookman was heightened by their expectations of selling Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus for about €50 million. Reports suggest Lookman even requested to be excluded from the squad at the season’s beginning, as negotiations with PSG were underway. While Atalanta set their asking price at around €40 million for the player, the move to Parc des Princes never materialized, leaving Lookman with no option but to remain at Atalanta.
Despite the complications arising from the transfer saga, Lookman showed resilience upon his return, achieving one goal and one assist against Fiorentina, followed by another goal against Como. Yet, the relationship between him and Gasperini began to show cracks during their league fixture against Venezia, where Lookman was substituted at halftime—an event which Gasperini later claimed was due to subpar performance. This decision prompted Lookman to retaliate strongly, scoring two goals and providing two assists the following week against Hellas Verona.
Things took another turn when Stephen Pagliuca, one of Atalanta's owners, personally flew from the United States to speak with Lookman, aiming to ease the mounting tensions between player and coach. Even as tension simmered down, the drama resumed during their Champions League match where Lookman, after being subbed on, took and missed a penalty—despite not being identified as the designated penalty taker. Gasperini did not hold back his disappointment, reportedly calling Lookman "one of the worst penalty takers I have ever seen," remarks which left the Nigerian international feeling "deeply insulted."
The fallout from the penalty incident has added more strain to Lookman's already fraught relationship with Gasperini. Lookman expressed his feelings, sharing, "I felt deeply insulted" by the coach's comments, showing just how sensitive the atmosphere has become. Tensions have escalated, leaving fans and analysts alike questioning whether Lookman will fit within Gasperini's plans moving forward.
These events highlight not only the volatile nature of professional football relations but also the significant impact off-field issues can have on team dynamics during high-stakes competitions. With looming pressures and the ever-watchful eyes of major clubs like PSG, the future of Lookman at Atalanta continues to be uncertain.