Atalanta Coach Speaks On His Altercation With Adekola Lookman After Getting Subbed Off

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was prevented from clashing physically with Atalanta coach Ivan Juric.

The incident happened on Wednesday night after being substituted in their 1-0 victory over French side Ajax in the UEFA Champions League.

Ademola Lookman was taken off with about 15 minutes left to play and appeared visibly upset as he made his way off the pitch.

His frustration seemed to grow when Ivan Juric confronted and pushed him, leading to a heated exchange between the two.

The tension was likely fueled by an earlier incident in which Lookman had a goal ruled out by VAR.

Members of Atalanta’s backroom staff had to step in to prevent the situation from escalating further after Juric appeared to pull the player back.

With Lookman off the pitch, 23-year-old Serbian midfielder Lazar Samardžić became the match-winner, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure the victory for Atalanta.

Speaking after the game, Juric dismissed the altercation as nothing unusual, comparing it to similar incidents involving other players and coaches.

He said, “These things happen every Sunday, like De Bruyne for Conte. Players don’t accept the change, but these things are resolved later in the dressing room. We all know these situations.

“These things happen, it can be a bit exaggerated in the heat of the moment, but what matters is Atalanta.

“For the good of the team, you have to behave well. For me, everything is over, the important thing is to win at Sassuolo.” 

The coach went on to praise another of his players, saying, “I have to give huge compliments to Krstovic for the work he’s done.

“We’re happy because we needed a win like this. Now we have to get back on track in the league, we’re a bit behind schedule.”

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that Ademola Lookman previously deleted all content related to Atalanta from his Instagram page, following tensions over a potential move to Inter Milan.