Samuel Eto’o backs Ademola Lookman after Gasperini criticism

Former Cameroon and Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o has supported Ademola Lookman in his ongoing dispute with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

The tension between Lookman and Gasperini grew this week after Atalanta’s surprising exit from the Champions League at the hands of Club Brugge.

Atalanta, the Europa League holders, were expected to reach the last 16, but they suffered a shocking 5-2 aggregate defeat, losing both matches to the Belgian team.

Instead of taking responsibility for his team’s poor performance, Gasperini blamed Lookman’s missed penalty as the reason for their elimination.

Although Lookman had his second-half penalty saved by former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, the Nigerian forward had earlier scored a goal just 30 seconds into the second half, giving Atalanta hope.

In a harsh post-match press conference, Gasperini publicly criticized Lookman, calling him “the worst penalty taker” he had ever seen, despite Lookman having successfully converted all four of his previous penalties for Atalanta.

Lookman responded angrily to the criticism, calling his manager’s comments “disrespectful.”

Many people have supported Lookman in the aftermath, including Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero and former Nigerian international Duke Udi, both of whom criticized Gasperini’s harsh words.

Atalanta’s American co-owners are also said to be unhappy with Gasperini’s handling of the situation, as they feel it was wrong to publicly criticize one of the club’s top players.

Now, four-time African Footballer of the Year and Africa Cup of Nations top scorer, Samuel Eto’o, has added his voice to the debate. In a post on his official Instagram, Eto’o praised Lookman for his bravery and assured him of support from Africa.

“My younger brother, memory in football lasts 90 minutes—the time of a match and next. For us, you are and will always be our champion. Only he who has the courage to shoot can miss. Thank you for your courage, great champion.” (Translated from French).

Lookman’s Impact at Atalanta

Although Lookman has only been at Atalanta for two and a half years, he has already become one of the club’s greatest-ever players.

Since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022, he has won Atalanta’s Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons. His performances helped the team reach last season’s Europa League final, where he scored a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen, securing Atalanta’s first-ever continental trophy.

This made him the first African player to score a hat-trick in a European final. In December, he also became the first Atalanta player to win African Footballer of the Year.

At 27, Lookman is already being linked with a move away from Atalanta in the summer. Clubs like Napoli and Juventus in Italy, as well as Premier League teams Arsenal and Liverpool, are reportedly keeping an eye on his situation.