Soccer
Ademola Lookman with his man of the match award against Hellas Verona. [Photo Credit/ Ademola Lookman on X].
Despite returning to first-team training, Ademola Lookman didn’t feature in Atalanta‘s 4-1 win over Lecce this afternoon, Soccernet.ng reports.
In what was Ivan Juric’s first victory since taking charge of the Nerazzuri, goals from Giorgio Scalvini, Nicolas Zalewski, and a brace from Charles De Ketelaere sealed all three points at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.
Lookman was left to train alone after he attempted to force a move to Inter Milan, although Atalanta were firm in their stance on not letting the Super Eagles star join another Italian team.
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The CAF Player of the Year played in Nigeria’s two games over the International break, and the club decided to lift his training ban, bringing him back into the first team.
However, the coast is not clear for Lookman, as the club’s coach mentioned that the former RB Leipzig man lacks the desire to play for the club, hence why he missed the game against Lecce.
Soccer Lookman is out of the PSG clash
The 2024 UEFA Europa League winners kick off their UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday with a trip to Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain, and Ivan Juric is unsure if Lookman will be a part of the Atalanta squad for the fixture.
“Lookman in Paris? I think not, the situation is unpleasant and not beautiful,” the former Southampton coach told DAZN in quotes revealed by Inter News 24.
“We need ready-made guys who want to give a lot to the shirt,” the 50-year-old reiterated, like he had opined before the game against Lecce.
Still, the Croatian manager, in his first season managing a club playing in the UEFA Champions League, is keen on taking Atalanta to the latter stages of the competition.
“Deep in the Champions League? It will be a great joy to face PSG, the strongest team in the world at the moment. We will have to be perfect, hoping that they will not be at their best.
“We are confident that we can do well. It will be nice for me, as it will be my first time in the Champions League,” the Atalanta coach concluded.
Lookman’s last appearance for Atalanta came back in May, where he played 45 minutes against Parma, as they finished third in the Serie A, their highest ever finish in the Italian domestic league.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
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