Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, the former Super Eagles captain, has defended Ademola Lookman(Current African player of the year) following the forward’s public fallout with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
The dispute arose after Atalanta’s surprising exit from the Champions League against Club Brugge, during which Gasperini singled out Lookman’s missed penalty as a crucial reason for the team’s elimination. Although Lookman scored just 30 seconds into the second half, his missed penalty later in the game ultimately contributed to Atalanta’s 5-2 aggregate defeat.
Rather than take collective responsibility for the team’s underperformance, Gasperini publicly criticized Lookman, labelling him “one of the worst penalty takers” he had ever seen. Okocha strongly condemned Gasperini’s remarks, asserting that the coach had gone too far. He told Mozzart Sport,
“I think Gasperini overreacted by calling Lookman the worst penalty taker. He seems to have forgotten the incredible contributions Lookman has made to Atalanta. Many top players have missed crucial penalties without facing such harsh criticism, so why is Lookman’s situation being treated differently? In my opinion, without Lookman, Atalanta could struggle and even risk relegation.”
Okocha is not the only high-profile figure to support Lookman. Former Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o also encouraged him on social media, stating,
“My younger brother, remember that in football, memory lasts 90 minutes—the duration of a match and the moments that follow. To us, you are and will always be our champion. Only those who dare to shoot can miss. Thank you for your bravery, great champion.”
See Also: Ademola Lookman Wins African Player of the Year Award
Eto’o’s message reflected sentiments shared by Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero and former Nigeria international Duke Udi, both of whom criticised Gasperini’s handling of the situation.
As the controversy continued to make headlines, Gasperini attempted to clarify his comments in a press conference ahead of Atalanta’s Serie A match against Empoli. He stated,
“He had an extraordinary impact and everything that followed… My words were not meant to be offensive.”
