Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has addressed the controversy surrounding his comments on Ademola Lookman, clarifying that he never intended to offend the Nigerian forward.
The tension began after Atalanta’s home defeat to Club Brugge, where Lookman took a penalty—a decision that drew public criticism from Gasperini. The Italian coach described Lookman as “one of the worst penalty kick takers” he had ever seen, prompting the player to label the remarks as disrespectful.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Gasperini sought to ease tensions. “He had an extraordinary impact. My words were never meant to be offensive,” he explained via TMW.
Reflecting on a similar incident in the Udinese vs. Lecce match, Gasperini praised the players for avoiding unnecessary drama. He also suggested that Lookman could develop into a reliable penalty taker if he embraced the responsibility.
“I would have liked to see a player like him encourage [Charles] De Ketelaere to take the penalty,” he said. “It could be another scoring weapon for him. But I feel like there’s a narrative suggesting Atalanta are in chaos, which is far from the truth.”
Gasperini emphasized that his comments were made in front of the entire team and were never intended to cause friction. “The player felt offended, but that was never my aim,” he added. “In the end, it worked out without unnecessary drama.”
He also acknowledged Lookman’s positive impact against Brugge, describing his contribution as extraordinary despite the penalty incident.