Coach of Italian Serie A side Atalanta Gian Piero Gasperini has explained the confusion that led to the decision to substitute Ademola Lookman in their 0-1 defeat to Lazio , their third straight loss without scoring a goal.
Gasperini side have seen their title charge fade away in recent games leaving the race to be between leaders Inter Milan and closest challengers Napoli who are four points behind. Atalanta are third on 58 points, a whooping ten points behind the leaders.
The gap became extended largely due to their last three games which has all ended in defeat without the team scoring a goal. It’s why the decision of the coach to substitute talisman Lookman when they were in search of a goal was put forward to him at the post match conference.
He confessed that it was a mistake due to the nicknames of the player he wanted to sub off and the Nigerian that led to his accidental exit from the game, and he could do nothing about it as it was too late when he realized.
“There was a misunderstanding between the nicknames ‘Ede’ and ‘Ade’, the problem is that Lookman had already left the pitch, he had already put his feet out and therefore there was no possibility of going back”, Gasperini explained after the game.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
