Gasperini Reacts After Mistakenly Substituting Lookman During Atalanta’s Loss to Lazio

• Atalanta lost ground in the Serie A title race after losing 1-0 to SS Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo
• Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was substituted in the 74th minute despite needing a goal
• Gian Piero Gasperini has explained how the substitution came about due to a mistake on the touchline

Ademola Lookman was substituted in the 74th minute of Atalanta's 1-0 loss to SS Lazio, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has admitted it was a mistake.

Atalanta lost ground in the Italian Serie A title race after losing their third consecutive match, having previously lost to fellow title contender Inter Milan, and Fiorentina.

The last time La Dea tasted victory was the 4-0 demolition of Juventus at the Allianz Stadium, and three games later, they have not scored, let alone secured a win.

The UEFA Europa League holders will remain in third place regardless of Juventus’ result against AS Roma unless the Old Lady scores at least 11 goals in the match.

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Gasperini speaks after Lookman’s sub

Ademola Lookman was substituted in today's match in the 74th minute despite his team needing a goal, raising questions over Gasperini's decision at that moment.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the decision was a mistake, and it left Gasperini furious after the team’s manager misheard him and took off the wrong player.

The Italian coach meant to substitute Ederson for Lazar Samardzic and told the manager to remove Ede, which he reportedly misheard as Ade, the short form of Lookman's first name.

Gasperini did not notice until the Nigerian's number 11 went up on the substitution board, by the time there was nothing he could do about it.

The manager speaking to DAZN after the match confirmed it was an unfortunate misunderstanding and that the team paid dearly for it.

“There was a mistake. Only Retegui was subbed to come off. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding between ‘Ede’ [Ederson] and ‘Ade’ [Lookman], and we paid a high price for it,” he said.

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Regardless of the outcome, Gasperini believes that his team put in a solid performance and that what matters was the result, but it didn't reflect how the match went.

“There are seven games remaining. We can still achieve what we didn’t manage in the last three games if we play with the same intensity, spirit and desire to get a result. In football, you have to accept moments like this and respond. Everything is still possible,” he added.

“There’s nothing to fault in terms of players’ efforts and performance... We’ve been struggling to score lately. We have seven games remaining, and this is the most important thing.”

English club step up Lookman's chase

Legit.ng reported that an English Premier League club have stepped up their interest in Ademola Lookman as he is expected to leave Atalanta this summer.

The reigning African Footballer of the Year will leave Bergamo this summer, and the Premier League is reportedly his preferred destination after missing out on a move to PSG last summer.

Source: Legit.ng