Atalanta BC's key forward Ademola Lookman (28) showed displeasure at being substituted during a match and clashed with the coach.
The British Daily Mail reported on the 6th (Korea time) that Ademola Lookman engaged in a heated argument with coach Ivan Juric during the substitution in the Marseille match, and the two nearly came to blows.
The incident occurred on the 6th at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, during the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League league phase Round 4 match between Atalanta and Olympique Marseille (1-0 Atalanta win).
With the score 0-0 in the 30th minute of the second half, coach Juric substituted Lookman. When Lookman showed a displeased reaction, Juric, who was heading to the bench, approached the player, spoke to him and grabbed his arm.
Club CEO Luca Percassi and captain Marten de Roon, who witnessed the scene, immediately intervened and the situation was barely calmed. Lookman appeared surprised by the coach's physical contact and strongly protested, and afterward continued to show an agitated reaction.
According to the Italian Gazzetta dello Sport, after the match coach Juric approached Lookman to try to talk again, but it was not revealed whether it was a reconciliation or an additional argument.
This is not the first intra-club controversy involving Lookman. He previously had conflicts during Gian Piero Gasperini's tenure as coach. After last year's match against Club Brugge, when Gasperini publicly criticized him as "the worst penalty-kick taker I've seen," Lookman responded on social media, saying, "It was very unpleasant and insulting. I have done my best for the club and the fans."
Afterward Lookman attempted to leave the club in the summer transfer market, and Inter Milan offered about 32 million pounds (about 60.5 billion won), but Atalanta rejected it. Lookman publicly expressed his dissatisfaction in a statement, saying, "The club did not keep its promises. I was not respected as a person or as a professional."
The transfer ultimately fell through, but Lookman returned to the starting lineup this season and has appeared in eight matches including the league and the Champions League. However, the clash with coach Juric has once again raised speculation about a January transfer.
Lookman, who transferred from RB Leipzig in 2022, has established himself as Atalanta's key forward with 99 appearances and 40 goals. Notably, he scored a hat trick in last season's UEFA Europa League final, leading the club to its first European competition title in history.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail predicted that "this incident has once again unsettled Lookman's life at Atalanta. If the club cannot mediate the conflict with coach Juric, a breakup in the January transfer market is likely to become a reality."
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