Juric Criticises Lookman, Rules Him Out of Atalanta’s Clash with Lecce

Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric has criticised Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, confirming he will not feature in Sunday’s Serie A game against Lecce.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Juric stressed that Lookman’s exclusion was not solely about fitness but about attitude.

“Ademola will not be ready for tomorrow,” Juric said. “I have a very good relationship with Lookman, but I shouldn’t have to beg him to play. It works the other way around. We are Atalanta and he represents the city. We need what Atalanta represents: hard work, humility, these are different values.”

The coach added that the team expects “spirit, humility, and passion for the shirt,” qualities he suggested Lookman is currently lacking.

The 27-year-old has yet to play a competitive game this season after missing pre-season friendlies and falling behind his teammates in preparations. His situation worsened after a proposed transfer to Inter collapsed, prompting him to hand in a transfer request and publicly criticise the club.

Lookman later returned to the UK to train alone before rejoining Atalanta just five days before the Serie A season began.