While Ivan Juric insisted the touchline row with Ademola Lookman had been resolved, the Nigeria international unfollowed the club and removed them from his social media posts.
The clash occurred when Lookman was substituted during the second half of the Champions League victory away to Olympique Marseille.
The forward seemed irritated at being replaced, and the coach took offence, grabbing him by the arm and shouting something at him.
Lookman turned and was about to respond when ushered away to the bench by other members of staff.
Row still going between Lookman and Juric
“These things happen. You talk and exchange views, you open up, and the rapport becomes better than it was before. Ademola is a particular kind of guy. It’s all sorted, we just move on and shrug it off,” said Juric in today’s press conference when asked about that clash.
However, the same attitude does not seem to have been taken by Lookman, who unfollowed Atalanta on Instagram and removed all posts that mentioned the club from his account.
It is not the first time the player has done this, as he already took that step in the summer when angrily protesting the refusal to sell him to Inter for under €50m.
Lookman went AWOL for several weeks from pre-season training, only to eventually return when Inter backed off the negotiations and no other suitable offers came in.
The situation was always seen as tense and it is likely he will try to push for an exit again in the January transfer window.
He’s a very talented player, but it’s a team sport. It’s not all about him, he’s not above the team or coaches decisions . He acts like this at Atalanta, definitely not ready for Inter or a big club. Wasted talent….
African Footballer of the Year should learn to comport himself with decorum.
The club and coach are too aggressive towards good talent. it’s so not ok at all. They should learn to respect players and be positive with them.
And should the player not respect the club as well?
Lookman needs to chill, as a player you are a tool in the hands of the coach to win matches and trophies. Not letting him go tells if how they value him, though he has other plans but at the moment they own him.
Let them let him leave, it is not by force to continue with Atlanta. This player will be happy elsewhere.