Ademola Lookman and Gian Pero Gasperini (Photo credit: imago)
Atalanta coach Gian Pero Gasperini has revealed that he mistakenly told the fourth official to take off Ademola Lookman instead of Ederson in their 1-0 loss to Lazio on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.
La Dea lost their 7th game of the Serie A season on Sunday when they fell to Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium. The reigning UEFA Europa League kings played well for most of the encounter, but Gustav Isaksen's goal was just enough to seal the win for Lazio.
Lookman has been a consistent performer for Atalanta this season, but he failed to produce the goods for his club against Lazio in his 74 minutes of action. When he was subbed off, he seemed to be angry.
In a related development after the game, Atalanta boss Gasperini admitted that taking off Lookman was a mistake, as the player he wanted to substitute was actually Ederson, the midfielder. However, they gave the fourth official the wrong jersey number.
“Today was not my day. Just look at what happened with Lookman,Ederson was supposed to come out, but we got the number wrong on the substitution board,” Gasperini said.
Ademola Lookman and Gian Pero Gasperini (Photo credit: Imago)
What does the loss mean for Ademola Lookman and Atalanta?
The loss leaves Atalanta in third position, ten points off Serie A leaders Inter Milan. They also have to be careful, as they are just two points above fifth-place Juventus. As such, they could fall out of the Champions League.
This is a disappointing turn for La Dea, as they were fully in the title race just a few weeks ago. Now, it would take a miracle for them to win it.
Ademola Lookman would be disappointed by the mistake in the game against Lazio. But with his exit from Atalanta in the summer, he will focus on ending the campaign well and moving to a better club.
Kelvin Omachonu is a writer with many years of experience covering sports events in Nigeria and abroad. He is fueled by his love for the job, and is dedicated to delivering captivating stories.
