The former midfielder of Lazio and the Nigerian national team, Ogenyi Onazi, has harshly criticized Gian Piero Gasperini for his statements on Ademola Lookman after the elimination of Atalanta from the Champions League.
Lookman, author of a goal in the match against Club Brugge, missed a decisive penalty, triggering the reaction of the Nerazzurri coach, who labelled him as "one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen". A comment that outraged Onazi, who defended his compatriot and suggested that the time had come for a change of scenery.
Interviewed by SportsBoom.com, Onazi expressed his disappointment at the treatment of Lookman: "It's incredibly disappointing to hear an experienced coach speak this way about one of his best players. Disrespecting a young man who has given so much to the team is unacceptable."
The former Lazio player underlined the importance of Lookman's contribution to the team: "We are not talking about any player: he is the current African Footballer of the Year and he always gave his all for Atalanta.
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Onazi's advice: "Lookman must leave Atalanta."
According to Onazi, Lookman should consider a move in the summer: "Atalanta signed him at a difficult time in his career, and he's proven his worth. If he hadn't performed well, they would have let him go without a second thought. Now he's won the Europa League and led the team to the Champions League, but perhaps the time has come to go elsewhere and enjoy football."
Onazi compared Lookman's situation to that of Victor Osimhen, revealing that he gave the same advice to the Napoli striker after the Scudetto: "I told Osimhen to leave Napoli when the ovation was still strong. He chose to renew his contract, and when things got worse, he told me that maybe my advice was the right one."
The former Biancoceleste player also expressed disappointment at the eliminations of Atalanta, Milan and Juventus from the Champions League, considering them surprising given the quality of the Italian teams compared to their opponents. "Atalanta's elimination was the result of individual errors. The first match was evenly matched, then a penalty changed everything. In the return match, I expected a reaction, but the team started poorly, conceding three goals in the first half: an unacceptable performance at this level."
Comments (1)
It's strange how some coaches can speak so harshly towards players. Lookman has done a lot for the team and deserves respect. I hope the situation is resolved soon, for the good of all.