Coach of Atalanta Gian Piero Gasperini says the decision to substitute Ademola Lookman at halftime in his team’s 2-0 win over Venezia is partly down to the poor treatment he suffered with the rest of the Nigerian team while on international duty, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
The 27 year old was a part of the Nigerian team who were left stranded at an abandoned airport in Libya for over 16 hours, leading to the team abandoning their game against Libya in the AFCON qualifiers.
They were left stranded without food, water and internet connectivity as they spend the night at the airport, which their flight was diverted to in a strange manner by the Libyan authority. A situation which made CAF to suspend the game.
Back at his club Lookman was substituted and Gasperini reveals it was partly due to his fitness levels after Nigeria’s troubled international duty experience in Libya.
“Not at his physical best. He struggled to get back and help out in defence, so was not playing for the team. Venezia were improving and I needed to tie the team together more.”
He is however expected to keep his starting spot when they take on Scottish side Celtic in the UEFA Champions League tomorrow.
