Atalanta: Juric and Lookman clash on bench, issue resolved | OneFootball

Moments of tension in the Atalanta camp during the Champions League away match in Marseille. During the second half, coach Ivan Juric and forward Ademola Lookman were involved in a heated exchange at the moment of the substitution with Yunus Musah.

Atalanta, tension between Juric and Lookman: sparks on the bench and incident resolved after the match

A quick but significant episode that shone a spotlight on the internal atmosphere of the Bergamo team during a delicate phase of the season.

The spat between Juric and Lookman: what happened

The scene, captured by cameras, did not go unnoticed. At the moment of the substitution, Lookman said a few words to the coach who, clearly annoyed, called him back firmly asking for explanations. According to what was seen on the sidelines, Juric slightly tugged the player to get his attention, leading to a brief, heated exchange before members of the bench intervened to calm things down.

The tension, apparently resolved at that moment, flared up again at the end of the match, when Juric once again approached Lookman to speak with him. The Nigerian forward, visibly upset, then left the field heading straight for the locker room while his teammates celebrated on the pitch. A gesture that inevitably fuels new discussions, especially in light of the player's previous behavioral issues.

Juric downplays: “It happens every Sunday, the team is what matters”

After the match, Ivan Juric tried to defuse the situation, playing down the incident and shifting the focus to the group. “These are the usual things that happen every Sunday,” he told Sky Sport. “It happened with De Bruyne in Naples or elsewhere: players don’t always calmly accept being substituted. These are instinctive reactions, which are cleared up in the locker room. For me, it ends there: only Atalanta matters. In the heat of the moment things get exaggerated, but the good of the team comes before everything.”

A response that confirms the coach’s desire not to fuel controversy, also because his own position on the bench is not considered entirely secure, despite reassurances from president Antonio Percassi.

A new Lookman case? The situation in the locker room

The episode brings to mind Lookman’s difficult months during the summer, when his future seemed far from Bergamo. The player, who stayed despite several foreign offers, has alternated good performances with moments of nervousness, a sign of a discomfort never fully resolved.

This is not the first internal clash of the season for Juric: just three weeks ago, after Cremonese-Atalanta, the coach had responded harshly to statements from goalkeeper Carnesecchi, who had publicly called for “a shake-up” for the team. “Carnesecchi is ambitious, but he was completely wrong,” Juric said on that occasion. “He needs to learn to be a professional: talk less and focus on the work.”

Bellanova reassures: “All resolved, we are a family”

Raoul Bellanova stepped in to calm things down, speaking after the match to clarify the situation. “Everything was resolved in the locker room,” declared the Nerazzurri full-back. “We are a family, there are no problems among us. On the pitch there’s adrenaline, sometimes a forward reacts instinctively when he’s substituted, but things are cleared up right away. It’s already all behind us.”

The player’s words confirm that the incident was handled internally, although it remains to be seen whether Juric will decide to take disciplinary action or if the matter will truly end here.

Atalanta: tense atmosphere but results improving

Despite the nervousness, Atalanta is trying to regain consistency. The win in Marseille, sealed by Samardzic, came at an important moment for the season and for the group’s confidence. Juric, for his part, knows that episodes like this can become dangerous if not managed with balance.

The feeling is that the Croatian coach and Lookman have already cleared the air, but the incident remains a symbol of a team that, while ambitious, still needs to find full emotional stability to compete at the top of Serie A.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.