Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, has publicly defended Ademola Lookman following the Nigerian forward’s contentious situation with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
The dispute stemmed from Atalanta’s Champions League exit against Club Brugge, where Gasperini attributed their elimination, in part, to Lookman’s missed penalty. Despite Lookman scoring early in the second half, his subsequent penalty miss proved detrimental, contributing to Atalanta’s 5-2 aggregate defeat.
Instead of sharing collective responsibility for the team’s performance, Gasperini singled out Lookman, labeling him “one of the worst penalty takers” he had ever seen.
Okocha strongly criticized this approach, asserting that Gasperini had overreacted. “I think Gasperini overreacted by calling Lookman the worst penalty taker,” Okocha stated.
He emphasized Lookman’s significant contributions to Atalanta, questioning why Lookman’s case was being treated differently when many top players miss crucial penalties without such severe criticism. Okocha further suggested that Atalanta’s performance could significantly decline without Lookman.
Okocha is not the only prominent figure to support Lookman. Former Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o also expressed his support through a social media message, encouraging Lookman and highlighting that “only he who has the courage to shoot can miss.
” This sentiment was echoed by Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero and former Nigeria international Duke Udi, both of whom criticized Gasperini’s handling of the situation.
In response to the ongoing controversy, Gasperini attempted to clarify his comments in a press conference, stating that his words were not intended to be offensive and acknowledging Lookman’s “extraordinary impact.”
