Former Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero has voiced support for Ademola Lookman following his public dispute with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
The tension arose after Gasperini criticized the Nigerian winger for missing a penalty against Club Brugge, a comment Lookman described as disrespectful and hurtful in his response. Softfootball highlights that Del Piero believes the manager’s public remarks were unnecessary.
Del Piero emphasized that mistakes are part of football and that players deserve protection rather than harsh public scrutiny.
He suggested that Gasperini’s approach could negatively impact Lookman’s confidence and the team’s performance for the remainder of the season, given the winger’s extraordinary campaign so far.
The Juventus legend explained his perspective by stating:
It is human to make mistakes, including from the penalty spot. Aside from the internal dynamics of that team, I would have been very upset by Gasperini’s words in the press conference. I am therefore not entirely surprised that Lookman responded that way, as he is right to do so.
