Juric downplays Lookman face off

Atalanta manager, Ivan Juric, has dismissed the heated exchange he had with Nigerian forward, Ademola Lookman, during his side’s 1-0 victory over Olympique Marseille on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League.

The incident occurred in the 75th minute when Lookman was substituted for Yunus Musah.

The reigning African Footballer of the Year appeared visibly frustrated as he left the pitch, exchanging words with Juric before the situation briefly escalated.

Juric clearly irritated, attempted to call the winger to order and even grabbed his arm before teammates and technical staff intervened to calm both parties.

“These are normal incidents in modern football; they happen every week, everywhere,” Juric was quoted as saying by Tuttoatalanta.

“Players never willingly accept being sent off; it happened to De Bruyne in Naples, it happens everywhere.”

He urged his players to always prioritise the team’s success above personal ambitions or individual frustrations.

“On the pitch, there’s adrenaline, there’s nerves, but then it all ends up in the locker room.

“The key is to remember that the only thing that matters is Atalanta, the group, the team, the fans.

“We all have to pull in the same direction and respect this shirt. Everything is cleared up, and we move on,” Juric added.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) silver medallist will be hoping to rediscover his scoring form ahead of Atalanta’s upcoming Serie A clash against Sassuolo this weekend.

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