Atalanta Coach Ivan Juric Speaks After Heated Exchange With Ademola Lookman

06 Nov 2025, 13:18 by Ernest Victor · Naija News

Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric has broken his silence following a heated touchline confrontation with Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman during their Champions League victory over Marseille on Wednesday night.

The flashpoint occurred in the 75th minute when Juric substituted Lookman for Yunus Musah with the game still goalless. The Nigerian forward looked visibly upset with the decision and appeared to exchange angry words with his manager as he walked off the pitch.

In the heat of the moment, Juric reacted sharply and seemed to grab Lookman before the situation was quickly diffused by Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi and captain Marten de Roon. Cameras later captured the two speaking again after the final whistle, though it was unclear whether they were reconciling or continuing their argument.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the match, Juric downplayed the confrontation, insisting it was simply part of football’s emotions.

“It’s the usual thing we’ve been commenting on every Sunday,” Juric said. “It happened with De Bruyne at Napoli. Some players are not happy to be substituted, they don’t react well, and we sort these things out in the locker room.”

Despite the off-field tension, Atalanta went on to win the game 1-0 thanks to Lazar Samardzic’s late goal, securing an important Champions League victory for the Serie A side.

Lookman, who reportedly pushed for a move to Inter Milan during the summer, has struggled to find consistency this season. The Nigerian attacker was one of Atalanta’s standout players last campaign but has found goals and rhythm harder to come by in recent weeks.

Juric, however, made it clear that such emotional reactions are not unusual and will be handled internally. “We move on,” he added.