“Atalanta Coach Explains Substitution of Birthday Boy Lookman, Says He Wasn’t Contributing to the Team”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini explained why Ademola Lookman, who was celebrating his 27th birthday, was unexpectedly substituted at halftime during their 2-0 victory over Venezia in Serie A, as reported by All Nigeria Soccer.Despite being a Ballon d’Or nominee and one of Atalanta’s most dangerous attacking players, Lookman was replaced by Juan Cuadrado.

Gasperini explained that while Lookman had great attacking potential, he struggled to track back and contribute defensively, which became crucial as Venezia started to apply more pressure.Gasperini’s decision was aimed at strengthening Atalanta’s defense as Venezia increased their intensity.

He hinted at lessons learned from their previous game against Como, where defensive issues arose, suggesting he wanted to avoid repeating those mistakes.Atalanta controlled the match, with Mario Pasalic scoring an early goal in the seventh minute, and Mateo Retegui doubling the lead with a beautiful chip shortly after halftime.

Lookman came close to scoring himself, hitting the post with a powerful shot in the 27th minute.Although Lookman’s substitution stirred discussions, Gasperini’s focus was on maintaining the team’s balance and cohesion rather than relying on individual performances.

The Nigerian winger has faced challenges recently, including being stranded in Libya for over 16 hours along with 21 other Nigerian players, before being rescued by government authorities.