Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini did not hold back in his criticism of Ademola Lookman after the forward missed a crucial penalty in their 3-1 home defeat to Club Brugge, which sealed a 5-2 aggregate exit from the Champions League.
Lookman had given Atalanta hope by scoring early in the second half after Brugge raced to a 3-0 halftime lead. However, his penalty miss on the hour mark proved costly, with Gasperini blasting the Nigeria international’s decision to take the spot-kick.
“Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty. He is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” Gasperini said. “Even in training, he converts very few. Retegui or De Ketelaere should have taken it, but Lookman, in a moment of enthusiasm, took the ball. That was a gesture I did not appreciate at all.”
The Atalanta boss also criticized captain Rafael Toloi, who was sent off for shoving Maxim De Cuyper after a heated exchange. “That was an ugly incident. We must never lose our heads,” he added.
Atalanta, currently third in Serie A, became the second Italian team to exit the Champions League after AC Milan, who were knocked out by Feyenoord. Despite the disappointment, Gasperini emphasized that Atalanta should leave the competition with dignity, having faced top clubs like Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Barcelona.
