Atalanta manager Ivan Juric on spat with Ade Lookman: “These are normal episodes” | OneFootball

Atalanta manager Ivan Juric was forced to address a highly visible touchline row with forward Ademola Lookman following the club’s vital 1-0 Champions League victory over Olympique Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome on Wednesday night.

Crucial Win Settled by Samardzic

The win, sealed by a brilliant 90th-minute strike from substitute Lazar Samardzic, saw Atalanta return to winning ways in Europe after a month-long drought, securing a result Juric insisted was fully deserved. The victory provided both significant relief and renewed confidence for a side that had recently faced a torrent of criticism.

In his post-match press conference, Juric first defended his team’s recent form, via TuttoAtalanta: “I think we played a very high-level game, from start to finish. We were unlucky with some episodes—I think of the missed penalty or the disallowed goal—but the performance was always solid, intense, and consistent. The victory is fully deserved.”

The Lookman Incident

Despite the late-game drama and the tactical triumph, attention quickly shifted to the tense interaction Juric had with Lookman when attempting to remove him from the game. The Nigerian international was clearly seen rejecting the substitution, sparking on-field friction.

Juric was quick to dismiss the severity of the bust-up, classifying the player’s frustration as a common aspect of high-stakes football, indicating that the player’s refusal to exit the field immediately was born out of adrenaline:

“These are normal episodes in modern football, they happen every week everywhere. Players never willingly accept being taken off—it happens to [Kevin] De Bruyne in Naples, it happens everywhere.”

“On the pitch, there is adrenaline, there is nervousness, but then everything ends in the locker room. The fundamental thing is to remember that the only thing that counts is Atalanta, the group, the team, and the fans. We all must row in the same direction and respect this jersey. Everything is clarified, and we go forward.”

The manager’s insistence that the matter was resolved internally aims to close the discussion and keep the focus on the three crucial points earned in France, which bolsters Atalanta’s position in the competition. The win is seen as a reward for the team’s consistent hard work and refusal to let “senseless criticism” derail their efforts.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN