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Tag: Atalanta

Atalanta Rally To Beat Chelsea 2–1 After Second-Half Fightback

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Atalanta came from behind to defeat Chelsea 2–1, overturning a first-half deficit in a match played at a high tempo and backed by a vibrant home atmosphere. The hosts started strongly, driven by constant noise from the stands, and nearly scored within the opening minutes as Ademola Looman caused early problems. Chelsea absorbed that pressure — helped by key defensive work from Acheampong — and soon settled into the game. Their first meaningful attack produced the opener midway through the half. Reece James, kept onside by a tight call, found João Pedro in the box, and the forward finished with a low toepoke between the goalkeeper’s legs. Chelsea grew more comfortable as the half progressed, and Neto almost added another before the interval, but the visitors held their 1–0 lead at the break. Both teams exchanged chances early in the second half. James missed from a promising position, while Lookman had an effort correctly ruled out for offside. Atalanta equalised moments later when Scamacca, left unmarked, headed in from close range. The hosts pushed for a second and eventually found it in the 83rd minute. De Ketelaere advanced into the area and struck a shot that took a deflection, leaving Sánchez unable to react. Chelsea’s late response lacked urgency. João Pedro had a final opportunity deep into stoppage time, but his shot from close range went straight at the goalkeeper, confirming Atalanta’s win.

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Atalanta Sack Head Coach Ivan Juric After Poor Serie A Start

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Atalanta have sacked head coach Ivan Juric following a 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo, leaving the club in 13th place in Serie A after 11 matches. Juric, who took over in June after Gian Piero Gasperini’s nine-year spell, struggled to replicate last season’s success when Atalanta finished third. The team has recorded only two league wins this campaign and sits 11 points behind leaders Inter Milan. “Atalanta BC announces that Ivan Juric has been relieved of his duties as first team coach,” the club said in a statement. “We thank Ivan Juric and his staff for their hard work and wish them all the best for the future.” The 50-year-old Croatian previously managed AS Roma for less than two months in 2024 and also had a brief stint at Southampton, leaving the club a day after their relegation from the Premier League. Reports suggest that former Fiorentina manager Raffaele Palladino is a leading candidate to take over. Atalanta will face Napoli on November 22 following the international break.

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Ademola Lookman In Fierce Altercation With His Coach

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Ademola Lookman had to be held back during a furious row after being grabbed by his Atalanta manager Ivan Juric on Wednesday night. The former Everton winger, 28, was substituted in the home Champions League game against Marseille that the Italian side went on to win 1-0. And as Lookman came off the pitch, there was an exchange of words between him and Juric, seemingly about his annoyance at being brought off. Juric then reacted and called back at his player, grabbing him at the same time before CEO Luca Percassi and team-mate Marten de Roon on the bench intervened to prevent the situation escalating further. Lookman appeared shocked and angered by his manager’s decision to get physical and the incident occurred in the 75th minute with the score 0-0. After the game, Juric went over to the Nigerian and they exchanged words again, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, but it is not known whether that was to smooth things over or continue the dispute. This is not the first time the winger, who has a brilliant record at Atalanta with 40 goals in 99 games and a hattrick in a Europa League final win, has been at the centre of controversy at the club. Lookman, who never quite made the grade in England and had loan spells at Fulham and Leicester City, was embroiled in a very public row with former boss Gian Piero Gasperini earlier this year. After a Champions League defeat by Club Brugge, Gasperini described the player as being ‘one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen’. Lookman took to social media and said: ‘Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful. ‘Not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo.’ He tried to force his way out of the club in the summer transfer window and Inter Milan bid £32million for him. There was also interest from PSG and other big sides leading to another messy situation, with Lookman again publicly calling out the club. He said in a statement: ‘Despite now receiving an offer in alignment to what I believe had been discussed, sadly the club are blocking the opportunity for reasons I do not understand. As a result and after many months of broken promises and what I feel has been poor treatment towards me as both a human being and as a professional footballer, sadly I feel I have no choice but to speak out for what I believe is right and I feel that enough is enough.’ But ultimately an exit was not sanctioned and he has been reintegrated, playing eight times this season. The latest incident with Juric now indicates a January transfer may be the best solution for all parties. Lookman has been with Atalanta since 2022 and in that time has made himself arguably the most important player at the club. His attacking output during that time has been unrivalled for La Dea and has seen him blossom later in his career. He began at Charlton and represented England, his country of birth, at age group levels before playing for Nigeria on the senior stage. A £7.5m move to Everton did not work out and he was loaned to RB Leipzig, who then signed him permanently before loaning him to Fulham and Leicester. Atalanta took a punt on him for £13m, which has proved to be a real bargain even if he does end up leaving under a cloud unless he can patch things up with Juric in the weeks ahead.

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Ademola Lookman in Atalanta Champions League Squad After Failed Inter move

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Atalanta have named their official squad for this season’s UEFA Champions League, with Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman in La Dea’s list despite a summer of speculation linking the player away from the club. Inter were close to signing Lookman and made a real push to sign the Nigerian attacker but refused to meet Atalanta’s demands for the player, even after he effectively went on strike and removed all mention of the club from his social media profiles. The Nerazzurri were not the only club who wanted to sign Lookman this summer, with reports speculating interest from Turkey and a feeble loan bid from German side Bayern Munich late in the window. So as La Dea look to repair relations with Lookman, they name him in their squad for Europe’s top competition. There is only one notable absence from the squad: injured Dutch left wing-back Mitchel Bakker. Defenders: Ahanor, Bellanova, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, Kossounou, Scalvini, Zappacosta; Midfielders: Bernasconi, Brescianini, De Roon, Ederson, Musah, Pasalic, Samardzic, Zalewski; Attackers: De Ketelaere, Krstovic, Lookman, Maldini, Scamacca, Sulemana.

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Ademola Lookman Returns to Atalanta after Inter Withdrawal

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Ademola Lookman is now back in Bergamo and is preparing to train at Zingonia for the first time after learning that Inter have decided to withdraw from the race to sign him this summer. Reports on Monday evening confirmed that Inter have told Atalanta that they no longer wish to pursue a deal for Lookman, despite weeks and weeks of negotiations for the African Player of the Year. The Nerazzurri had seen an offer of €45m including bonuses for Lookman turned down this summer, and now it appears that they will not come back in with an improved bid. The initial rejection of Inter’s bid for Lookman caused the Nigeria international to hand in a formal transfer request and desert Atalanta training, instead returning to the UK to train individually. He also released a statement accusing his employers of breaking promises and treating him poorly as a ‘human being and professional footballer’. Dea CEO Luca Percassi later confirmed that there was an agreement in place that allowed Lookman to leave the club under the right conditions this summer, but only for ‘big’ teams that are located outside Serie A, which complicated a deal between Inter and Atalanta. Despite Lookman’s desire to force through a move to Inter this summer, he has now been forced to swallow a bitter pill and return to Atalanta with less than a week to go before the start of the 2025-26 Serie A season. Atalanta will get their league campaign underway with a visit from newly-promoted Pisa on Sunday evening, kicking off at 7.45pm.

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Ademola Lookman AWOL at Atalanta Training

Fola Badmus02 mins

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman row with Atalanta saw him fail to attend training on Monday, as he tries to force through the transfer to Inter. The rapport between the player and his club has hit rock bottom and the situation seems to be at a breaking point. According to multiple sources, Lookman was expected at the Zingonia training ground today for pre-season commitments, but was nowhere to be seen. It comes after he published a long statement on Instagram accusing Atalanta of “broken promises” and confirming he had handed in a formal transfer request. La Dea responded in the form of CEO Luca Percassi, who insisted that while they had promised to sell him this summer if a suitable offer arrived, it was to a club outside of Italy, not their Serie A direct competitors Inter. Now this refusal to attend training will further bring matters to a head, as Inter hope they can convince Atalanta by increasing their proposal of €42m plus €3m in add-ons. This gesture just makes it clear how aggressive the action taken by Lookman is becoming, and it remains to be seen how his club will respond. The 27-year-old is under contract until June 2027.

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Ademola Lookman Hands Atalanta Transfer Request

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Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has handed the club a formal transfer request, the player said Sunday. Lookman made the announcement with a statement posted on Instagram. The 27-year-old said the request was made “after many months of broken promises and what I feel has been poor treatment towards me as both a human being and as a professional footballer. “Sadly I feel I have no choice but to speak out for what I believe is right and I feel that enough is enough,” he said. He said in the statement that it had already been decided that it was the “right time” for him “to move on and experience a new adventure.” He said he and the club ownership had been “in agreement” that now was the right time for a transfer, and that the club agreed to let him leave if a fair offer was made. He said an offer did arrive but now the club was not sticking to its end of the agreement. “Despite now receiving an offer in alignment to what I believe had been discussed, sadly the club are blocking the opportunity for reasons I do not understand,” he said. “Over the past three years at Atalanta. I’ve given absolutely evrything. Not just as a footballer, but as a person. I’ve always worn the shirt with pride and tried to represent this club and the city of Bergamo with heart, passion and dedication. “I came here with the hope of helping this special club grow and together, we’ve created memories that stay with me forever. Winning the Europa League and standing shoulder to shoulder with my teammates that night in Dublin celebrating with our fans was one of the proudest moments of my career so far. It still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. “Atalanta, and especcially its supporters, have become a part of me. This place has felt like home from the moment I arrived, and I’ve always tried to repay that love-even in moments where things haven’t been easy behind the scenes. “That’s what makes writing this so hard. I have loved every moment but feel that now, after three wonderful years in Bergamo, it is the right time to move on and experience a new adventure. There have been numerous clubs approach Atalanta in the past and I have previously always stayed loyal. However, myself and the ownership of the club have been in agreement that now is the right time and the club were clear with me that if a fair offer come in they would allow me to move. “As a result and after many months of broken promises and what I feel has been poor treatment towards me as both a human being and as a professional footballer, sadly I feel I have no choice but to speak out for what I believe is right and I feel that enough is enough. I can confirm I have now handed in a formal transfer request. “Even throughout the extremely difficult moments I’ve endured, many of which have remained private and confidential. I have always tried to put the club, the fans and the team first and hoped it would not get to this, but I unfortunately feel there is now little choice. “To the fans -the heartbeat of this club -I want to say this: I’m truly sorry it’s come to this. I hope you can understand this incredibly difficult situation. It’s simply about standing up for what I believe is fair and right. The support you have always give me has been incredible and the bond we have created together is special. “I hope to work together with the club to find an amicable solution for all parties as soon as possible,” the forward stated.

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Barca Considers Ademola Lookman Move

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Barcelona are reportedly considering making a move for Atalanta BC attacker Ademola Lookman during this summer’s transfer window. The 27-year-old has been in excellent form for Atalanta during the 2024-25 campaign, making 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring 18 goals and registering seven assists in the process. Lookman has 13 goals and five assists in 28 Serie A matches this term, while he also impressed in the Champions League, scoring five goals and registering two assists, before the Italian team were eliminated by Club Brugge in the knockout round playoffs. The forward’s future is currently the subject of much speculation, with Arsenal and Manchester United both believed to be considering making a move for him during this summer’s transfer window. According to Fichajes, Barcelona are also in the hunt, with the Catalan outfit giving serious consideration to making an offer. The report claimed that Lookman may be available for as little as €35m (£30m), which would represent a bargain considering his quality, and his arrival would give Barcelona a different option in the final third of the field. Lookman was born in London, coming through the youth system at Charlton Athletic before representing their first team on 49 occasions, scoring 12 times, and his form earned him a switch to Everton. The Nigeria international found it difficult to make his mark for the Toffees, scoring just four times in 48 appearances, before having an unsuccessful spell at RB Leipzig, spending time out on loan with Fulham and Leicester City. Lookman has finally realised his potential at Atalanta, though, representing the Italian side on 115 occasions, scoring 50 goals and registering 24 assists in the process. The attacker is capable of playing in a number of different positions, but he has mainly operated as a second striker, scoring 12 times and registering four assists in 25 outings while starting in the position behind the main forward. As well as Arsenal and Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool are believed to be keen on Lookman, with his bargain price making him a very attractive proposition during the summer market. Lookman is entering his prime, and his previous experience of English football should stand him in good stead. The forward is a different player to the one who left Everton in 2019 and then spent time on loan at Fulham and Leicester. Much will come down to which club shows the strongest interest, as Lookman will want to be an important player at this stage of his career, and it is difficult to imagine him becoming a starter at Barcelona, especially not next season.

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