Ademola Lookman made a statement with two goals for Atalanta in their 5-0 Serie A win over Empoli
The two goals came after he was named to start following the midweek incident with Gian Piero Gasperini
Lookman snubbed the manager after he was substituted and sent a powerful message on social media

Ademola Lookman continues his beef with Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini after the match against Empoli following last week's penalty incident.

Gasperini surprisingly named Lookman to start against Empoli despite the attacker firing back at him during the midweek and there were expectations he could be dropped.

Davide Zappacosta celebrates with Ademola Lookman after the attacker scored his second goal against Empoli. Photo by Gabriele Maltini.Source: Getty Images

Lookman scored twice as Atalanta thrashed their opponent 5-0, making it a perfect response after the manager publicly disrespected him despite being one of his best players.

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Lookman silent about Gasperini beef

The Super Eagles star ignored Gasperini when he was substituted and shook the assistant manager Tullio Gritti, subtly hinting that things are still not smooth between the two.

Lookman also ignored questions about the manager during his post-match conference, staying silent and eventually saying “Finished?” asking if the journalist was done or had any other questions.

Lookman reflects on Atalanta's win

However, he spoke to DAZN about the match, expressing satisfaction with his teammates and urging them to keep the performance up.

“The team won 5-0 today, we put in a good performance, everyone was at a high level and we showed quality,” he said.

“We take every game as they come. We played well today, we have to continue this way and prepare for the next.”

Lookman sends powerful message

The reigning African Footballer of the Year took to his Instagram page to send a message after responding to Gasperini's insult in the best way possible.

He shared a photo of himself from the match and captioned it “Pain into Power ⚽️⚽️”.

The caption has been a mantra for the Super Eagles star. It was in the concluding paragraph of his statement to Gasperini last Wednesday:

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“Life's about challenges and turning pain into power which I'll continue to do.”

It was also part of his acceptance speech after winning the 2024 CAF Men's Player of the Year Award in Marrakech, Morocco last year.

Ademola Lookman looks on during Atalanta's 5-0 win over Empoli. Photo by Gabriele Maltini.Source: Getty Images

“Just over four years ago, I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years and I’m the best player in Africa,” he said.

“To the young children and people watching this, don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings. Turn your pain into your power and continue to fly.”

Up next for the Europa League holders is a home game at the Gewiss Stadium against Venezia this Saturday as it is the only trophy they are competing for.

The win over Empoli moves them to within three points of league leaders Inter Milan, and two points behind Napoli, with the title realistically within their reach.

Ademola Lookman's penalty record

Legit.ng analysed Ademola Lookman's penalty record after Gasperini publicly slammed the attacker and labelled him as one of the worst penalty-takers he's ever seen.

Lookman before Club Brugge’s miss had never missed a penalty in his Atalanta career, while he has scored all four he has taken, including against Como this season.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng