Atalanta’s Champions League journey came to a bitter end after a 3-1 loss to Club Brugge, but the drama didn’t stop there. The fallout from Ademola Lookman’s missed penalty has ignited a storm of controversy, with Liverpool legend Steve Nicol jumping to the winger’s defense—while pointing fingers elsewhere.
Lookman, who had already scored earlier in the match to give Atalanta a fighting chance, stepped up for a crucial penalty in the 61st minute. Unfortunately, his effort didn’t find the net, a moment that proved to be a major turning point in the game. But instead of rallying behind him, Atalanta’s coach Gian Piero Gasperini publicly tore into Lookman, calling him “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen” and questioning why he took the shot instead of designated taker Charles De Ketelaere.
Nicol wasn’t having any of it. Speaking on ESPN FC, the former Liverpool star called out the real culprits—the team captain Rafael Tolói, De Ketelaere, and Gasperini himself.
“There was no need for Gasperini to say all that,” Nicol argued. “All he had to do was say, ‘He wasn’t supposed to take it.’ That’s it. Why attack him?”
The ex-defender then turned his focus to the players who should have taken responsibility. “If I’m the coach, my first question is to the designated penalty taker—‘Why didn’t you take it?’ Then I go to the captain—‘Why did you let someone else take it?’”
For Nicol, Lookman was simply caught in the chaos. “Honestly, the only person innocent in all this is Lookman. If the guy who’s supposed to take it doesn’t, someone else has to step up. Lookman did, and now he’s being blamed? That’s just wrong.”
He also criticized Gasperini for failing to intervene when it mattered. “I never saw the game, but if the coach had time, he should have made sure the right guy was taking that penalty.”
The situation has sparked wider conversations about leadership, accountability, and communication on the field. Atalanta now faces a tough road ahead, not just in recovering from their Champions League exit, but in addressing the internal issues that led to this moment.
One thing is clear—while Lookman may have missed the shot, the real failure lies with those who should have made sure it never got to that point.
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