Atalanta coach Gian Gasperini has revealed that Ademola Lookman was mistakenly substituted against Lazio due to a misunderstanding between the coaching staff.
There was confusion on the pitch when the reigning African player of the year was replaced by Samardžić in the 74th minute of the encounter which Atalanta lost 1-0.
Gasperini admitted Lookman’s substitution was in error, claiming that he told the team manager to sub off Ederson and not Lookman.
He said: “There was a mistake. Only Retegui was subbed to come off.
“Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding between ‘Ede’ [Ederson] and ‘Ade’ [Lookman] and we paid a high price for it.”
The Atalanta team manager misunderstood Gasperini’s instructions, replacing Lookman instead of Ederson.
Lookman was visibly upset when pictured on the bench as Atalanta struggled for firepower in the closing moments of the game.
It would be recalled that Gasperini described Lookman as one of the worst penalty takers when the Super Eagles star missed from the spot in a crucial Champions League game against Club Brugge in February.
The comment drew widespread criticism, and condemnation before the Italian manager apologised to Lookman.
The defeat against Lazio is a dent to their title hopes after suffering three consecutive defeats to Inter Milan, Fiorentina without scoring a single goal.
Gasperini has refused to give up on their title aspirations, backing the team to recover their form ahead of the last seven matches in the league.
He said, “I believe the team put in a solid performance against a tough opponent. Judgements are always based on the result, which doesn’t reflect how the game actually went.
“There are seven games remaining. We can still achieve what we didn’t manage in the last three games if we play with the same intensity, spirit and desire to get a result. In football, you have to accept moments like this and respond. Everything is still possible.
“There’s nothing to fault in terms of players’ efforts and performance.
“It wasn’t easy to keep Lazio under control for so long and put in a similar display. We’ve been struggling to score lately, and when opponents score on their first chance, the whole game is compromised. It’s hard to accept, but this is football.”
Lookman endured a frustrating outing for Atalanta against Lazio. He has now gone three consecutive matches without scoring for the third time in the league this season.
The 27-year-old has scored 13 goals and recorded five assists in 25 Serie A matches for Atalanta this season.
The defeat leaves them in third on the table with 10 points behind table-toppers Inter Milan, and six points behind second-placed Napoli.
Up next for Atalanta is a home clash against Bologna on Sunday.
