Atalanta BC co-owner Stephen Pagliuca has admitted that Gian Piero Gasperini\u2019s recent harsh comment on Ademola Lookman was a mistake, also showing support for the gaffer, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Gasperini had publicly slammed Lookman after the Nigerian forward missed a penalty in Atalanta\u2019s 5-2 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge in the UEFA Europa League.<\/p>\n Following a missed penalty, the Italian coach labelled Lookman a bad penalty taker, which sparked mixed reactions in the Nigerian football community.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0\u201cThe worst penalty taker I\u2019ve ever seen\u201d- Atalanta coach Gasperini blasts Ademola Lookman after Club Brugge loss<\/a><\/p>\n However, Lookman responded in the best possible way, scoring two goals in Atalanta\u2019s 5-0 thrashing of Empoli to prove his worth to the team.<\/p>\n Following the incident, Pagliuca acknowledged Gasperini\u2019s comments were regrettable and against the club\u2019s philosophy.<\/p>\n \u201cGasperini\u2019s reaction was emotional, regrettable, a mistake that went against our policy and something we are not proud of. But I repeat, Gasp remains a great coach,\u201d Pagliuca said, as quoted by EuroFoot via Gazzetta_it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca says Gasperini\u2019s comments about Lookman was a \u2018mistake\u2019 \u274c<\/p>\n \u201cGasperini\u2019s reaction was emotional, regrettable, a mistake that went against our policy and something we are not proud of. But I repeat, Gasp remains a great coach.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/8uYNfkId3o<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) February 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Speaking further, he revealed that Atalanta operates with a team-first mentality, where collective responsibility is prioritised over blaming individual players.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made a mistake by talking about an individual player. We have a policy at Atalanta that if things go wrong, we take the blame.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Pagliuca also stressed that the club is eager to move forward from the contentious issue, with their dominant win over Empoli serving as a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to put this story behind us and I think we did that with the 5-0 win in Empoli. We have a great coach, very passionate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe made a mistake by talking about an individual player. We have a policy at Atalanta that if things go wrong, we take the blame.\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Lookman has been instrumental for Atalanta this season, scoring 17 goals and providing seven assists across all competitions.<\/p>\n His performances continue to attract attention, with speculation linking him to a possible move to England in the summer transfer window.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/02\/imago1039943507-scaled.jpg\")
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