Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman was involved in a heated exchange with Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric during their dramatic 1-0 victory over Marseille in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, Bold Sports reports.
Lookman, who started the match, thought he had broken the deadlock in the 70th minute, but his goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. Just minutes later, Juric substituted him for Yunus Musah, a decision that angered the Nigerian forward.
As Lookman made his way to the bench, Juric grabbed him by the arm and said something, prompting a visible confrontation between the pair before Atalanta staff quickly intervened to diffuse the tension.
According to Sky Sport Italia, the disagreement did not end there — more words were reportedly exchanged between the two at the final whistle, even as the rest of the team celebrated their dramatic win.
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Despite the tension, Atalanta snatched all three points in the dying minutes through a long-range strike from Lazar Samardzic. The goal sparked protests from Marseille’s coach Roberto De Zerbi and his players, who appealed for a handball in the build-up, but the referee allowed the goal to stand after consulting VAR.
The victory moved Atalanta up to 16th on the Champions League standings with seven points from four matches, keeping them on course for qualification to the knockout stage.
However, the incident between Lookman and Juric cast a shadow over what was otherwise a morale-boosting win. It is also not the first time Lookman has found himself in conflict with the club’s coaching staff. Last season, then-manager Gian Piero Gasperini publicly criticised him after a missed penalty, and during the summer, Lookman reportedly sought a move away from Bergamo.
Atalanta will next face Eintracht Frankfurt, where both Lookman and Juric will hope to put their differences aside as the team continues its push for a place in the next round of the Champions League.
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