Gian Piero Gasrooms Gasperini, the manager of Atalanta, openly criticized Ademola Lookman following his unsuccessful penalty kick in last night's match. "Lookman wasn’t supposed to take the penalty. He's one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen. Even in training, he has a very low percentage; he kicks them really badly." This is an absolutely savage claim about his own player.
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I am filled with deep sadness whenever I see things like this - the disrespect, the criticism, and the racism towards African players in Europe. Ademola Lookman, the current best African footballer, was disrespected by his club's manager just because he missed a penalty. It's as if footballers don't miss penalties. Even the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, undeniably the greatest footballers to walk the face of the earth, also miss penalties.
What pains me the most is that Ademola Lookman was the man who took Atalanta to the finals of the European league and won it for them. Not only did he win it, but he also became the first player in history to score a hat-trick in the final of the European league, ending Bayer Leverkusen's undefeated run. Bayer Leverkusen were at their peak last season, not losing a match in all games, until they met the unstoppable force, Ademola Lookman. Lookman became the hero of Atalanta, and he didn't stop there; he has been delivering for his club ever since. So, one bad performance from him after so many good ones brought out the true colors of his club manager.
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Everyone would celebrate you in your glory, but you will never know who doesn't like to see you shine.
Didier Drogba, an African legend, had this to say on the matter: "Insulting the African best, Ademola Lookman, is an insult to us. As long as you are African, you shouldn't be taken for a joke! African players deserve to be respected. We are the ones who labor harder, yet we are the ones they disrespect all the time. I urge CAF to take necessary actions to restore the respect of our players. Osimhen is still going through the same abuse from Napoli, and we all sit back and watch. Who knows who the next victim will be?"
The truth is that African players have always been disrespected in these European clubs. They make it seem like African players don't do anything for the club. The same thing happened to Ademola Lookman's predecessor, the former African best player, Victor Osimhen, in Napoli. After bringing the Serie A cup back to Napoli for the first time in 33 years, the club made fun of him online, calling him a monkey just because he missed a penalty. They made a video on TikTok making fun of him because he missed one penalty. This is the same person they called a hero, the same person who restored glory back to Napoli.
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The disrespect from Europe towards Africans should stop. There should be justice for Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, and other African players going through this kind of trauma from European clubs.
Ademola Lookman had this to say about it: "It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement... During the match, the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty, and to support the team, I took responsibility in the moment to do so. Life is about challenges and turning pain into power, which I will continue to do."
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In his humble self, he didn't even fire back at the manager. Ademola Lookman received so much love from his home country, Nigeria, during this time. The love his country showed him demonstrates how much he is valued.
Other than Didier Drogba, there were other African legends who spoke on behalf of Lookman. Mikel Obi, a Nigerian legend, said: "Since yesterday, I have contacted Ademola more than six times. He's in high spirits; he's not weighed down by the attitude of Gasperini. He's a humble and quiet person. His decisions will be executed without noise! I strongly condemn the disrespect towards Lookman from Gasperini. And I thank the club owners for their stand; good news is on the way."
Kanu Nwankwo, another Nigerian legend, said: "Is he, Ademola Lookman, the first to miss a penalty? You can detect the level of bitterness in the heart of Gasperini through his voice. Our first step is to ensure he leaves Atalanta for a better club without delay. African players deserve to be respected and treated with honor. CAF will do the needful in reaching FIFA; enough of this madness. Why the hatred towards our players? For God's sake, we are their strength. Remove African players from them and see the difference. One thing I know is that every disappointment is a blessing.
He also got support from his teammates from his home country, Victor Osimhen, Gift Urban, and others.
Italian football clubs have been criticized for their treatment of players who have achieved great success. Victor Osimhen, who helped Napoli win their first league title in 33 years, and Ademola Lookman, who contributed to Atalanta's first trophy in 61 years, have both faced disrespect from their respective clubs. This raises questions about the culture and values of Italian football clubs towards their most successful players. These players are both African and Nigerian, and it seems that many Italian football clubs have something against African/Nigerian players. This nonsense should be stopped these players give it their all on the field, they don't deserve this.
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