Ademola Lookman Aims Dig at Ex-Atalanta Boss Ivan Juric After Scoring in the Champions League
- Ademola Lookman has aimed a stylish dig at former Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric after his dismissal
- Atalanta dismissed the Croatian after a run of poor results and a touchline altercation with Lookman
- Lookman applauded his replacement, Rafaelle Palladino, after the 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt
Ademola Lookman aimed a stylish dig at former Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric after scoring his first UEFA Champions League goal this season.
Lookman, who had a frustrating summer transfer window, is gradually settling back into the team and particularly after a managerial change.
Source: Getty Images
Atalanta confirmed it had parted ways with Juric and his backroom staff on November 10 because of a poor run of results in his few months in charge.
Lookman and Juric clashed on the touchline during Atalanta's 1-0 win over Olympique Marseille, confirming that they have always not gotten along well.
The Croatian manager was crucial in keeping Lookman in Bergamo against his wish after making it clear to the club’s hierarchy that he counted on the player.
His departure was a breath of relief for the Nigerian, who celebrated a goal for the first time this season, having not jubilated when he scored against AC Milan.
Lookman aims dig at Ivan Juric
Lookman scored during the 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in a six-minute madness from La Dea, during which Ederson and Charles de Ketelaere also scored.
The Super Eagles forward, speaking after the match, confirmed that Palladino has a clear style of attacking football, indirectly attacking Juric’s style of play.
“The Mister has a very clear idea of attacking and entertaining football, which you can see in the goals that we scored,” he told Sky Sports Italia.
“Obviously, the DNA of pressing and hard work is in the team anyway, and we have to keep that going.”
The results were not only questionable under the former Southampton head coach, but Atalanta’s style of play also became unrecognisable, leading to his dismissal.
Source: Getty Images
Lookman played with the duo of Charles de Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca for the first time in a while, the same trio that won the 2024 Europa League, and he admitted it was easy to play with them.
“Obviously, it’s very free and easy playing with Scamacca and De Ketelaere, because they are quality players. We just have to keep on working and improving as a team. We take this performance and hope to carry it on in the league,” he added.
The Super Eagles forward stressed the need to carry on the form to the league, where they currently sit 13th on the table with 13 points after 12 matches.
Atalanta faces relegation-threatened Fiorentina next, which has also dismissed manager Stefano Pioli recently after poor results.
Lookman reacts to Atalanta's win
Legit.ng reported that Ademola Lookman reacted after scoring his first goal for Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League this season during the win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 2024 African Footballer of the Year urged his teammates to remain focused on getting results and changing the fortunes of the team.
Source: Legit.ng
