Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric has addressed his touchline altercation with Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman during their 1-0 Europa League victory over Olympique Marseille on Wednesday night, November 5.
The incident occurred in the 75th minute when Juric substituted Lookman for Yunus Musah. The Super Eagles star appeared visibly upset by the decision, leading to a brief confrontation between the pair before other members of the technical staff intervened to diffuse the situation.
Speaking after the game, Juric played down the incident, describing it as a normal occurrence in football that would be resolved internally.
“It’s the usual thing we’ve been commenting on every Sunday. 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,” Juric told Sky Sport Italia.
The Croatian tactician stressed that emotions often run high during competitive matches, but the most important thing remains the team’s success.
“We all know these situations; we’ve all had them as players and as coaches. They happen in the heat of the moment.
What matters is Atalanta the club, the team, and the fans. We do what is good for the team. I understand, I shake it all off, and we move forward.”
Lookman, who has been one of Atalanta’s standout performers this season, is expected to return to the starting lineup in their next Serie A fixture.
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