Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the controversy over his recent comments about Ademola Lookman, clarifying that he never meant to offend the Nigerian forward.
Gasperini had remarked after Atalanta’s 3-1 loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League that Lookman was “one of the worst penalty-takers he has ever seen.”
Lookman, who scored 15 goals this season, missed a penalty in the match, and Gasperini indicated that the striker should not have taken it, with offensive midfielder Charles De Ketelaere and striker Mateo Retegui on the pitch.
Lookman later expressed his hurt on Instagram, calling the comments “deeply disrespectful.”
In a press conference on Saturday, Gasperini downplayed the fallout, comparing it to a similar incident in a Serie A match between Udinese and Lecce, where a player took a penalty despite not being the designated taker.
Gasperini reiterated that his words were not intended to offend Lookman, adding that the issue was not a problem within the team or the club.
“It had an extraordinary impact, everything that came afterwards … mine was not meant to be an offensive sentence,” Gasperini said.
“Yesterday in Udinese-Lecce we had what could have been a drama, luckily there were guys who let it go.
“I would have liked a strong player like Lookman to have made a gesture towards De Ketelaere saying, “Come on keep the ball, put it in.
“He can become a penalty taker, that would be an additional goal-scoring ability … I always speak in front of the whole team, it has never touched the club. He felt offended, I didn’t want to offend anyone.”
Atalanta, who are third in Serie A, will face Empoli in a crucial match on Sunday, with Gasperini highlighting the challenges they will face against the relegation-threatened side.
“Empoli come from a streak of difficult results, all the games I’ve seen they’ve performed very well,” Gasperini said.
“They are a good team, with a good quality of play, with an excellent coach, who are playing for salvation.
“I remember the first game, I expect a balanced, difficult match. We only have one goal, we have to do our best.”
He also revealed he won’t sign any other extension with Atalanta.
“At the end of the season, we’ll see whether to let the contract run out or stop earlier.”
“Qualifying for the Europa League is a great accomplishment too, but we all agree on one thing.
“If you want to experience different emotions, you have to aim higher. Otherwise, it’s just more of the same.
“I don’t have much time left to do this; maybe this is the last chance. As has been said, there’s a beginning and an end.
“At the end of the year, we’ll see whether to let the contract run out or stop earlier, but there definitely won’t be any continuity. There will be no further renewals or extensions.”
