Atalanta will be without Nigerian star Ademola Lookman when they take on European champions Paris Saint-Germain tonight at the Parc des Princes in their UEFA Champions League opener under new coach Ivan Juric.
Lookman, who was instrumental in Atalanta’s Europa League triumph last season, has been dropped from the squad amid ongoing tensions with the club following the collapse of his proposed summer transfer to Inter Milan.
Juric explained that the African Footballer of the Year had become a distraction in the camp due to his “awkward attitude” since the failed move. The coach confirmed that the forward has not been included in the traveling party to Paris, insisting the club has already “spoken clearly” to the player.
“We are relaxed, we already spoke to him clearly, so we just want to focus on tomorrow’s match,” Juric told Sky Sport Italia, stressing that his team’s attention remains on their daunting clash with PSG rather than off-field controversies.
According to Football Italia, Atalanta’s preparations have been overshadowed by Lookman’s discontent. The Nigerian reportedly tried to force an exit during the transfer window but has since returned reluctantly to Bergamo. His training performances were said to have failed to convince the coaching staff, with Juric adding:
“I should not have to beg him to play.”
Despite the distraction, Juric insists Atalanta are fully focused on the task at hand. Tonight’s game, scheduled for 8:00 pm Nigerian time (19:00 GMT), will serve as the ultimate test of his new tenure against a PSG side brimming with attacking talent.
“We are concentrated on how to prepare the game,” Juric said. “I am curious to see the opponent who deservedly was crowned the best team in Europe.
We prepared well to face them and hope to have a great performance. We need courage. We know their strengths are in passing the ball and using their pace in attack. However, we’ve seen they tend to struggle more against teams who sit a little deeper, rather than those who face them openly.”
Atalanta’s domestic form has been mixed so far, with draws against Pisa and Parma followed by a 4-1 win over Lecce that gave the squad a much-needed confidence boost.
The Italian side also travel to Paris hampered by injuries. Ederson, Gianluca Scamacca, and Sead Kolasinac remain sidelined, alongside long-term absentee Mitchel Bakker. Nonetheless, Juric expressed confidence in the depth of his squad:
“We have many young players who can do well, so I feel confident. We deserved more in the other matches, but didn’t get the results to reflect the performance. Against Lecce, we combined good football with goals and the victory, so we needed that confidence booster to go into this game.”
With Lookman absent and PSG in formidable form, Atalanta face a monumental challenge. But Juric believes his team has the tactical discipline and belief to pull off an upset on the European stage.
Leave a Reply