Ballon d’Or: What Atalanta coach told Lookman after 14th-place finish

By Tosin Omojola

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini reminded Nigeria international Ademola Lookman to appreciate his teammates following his 14th-place finish at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday evening.

Both Gasperini and Lookman were nominated for awards at the event. Gasperini was up for the Coach of the Year award, eventually won by his compatriot Carlo Ancelotti, while Lookman was nominated for the main Ballon d’Or award, which went to Manchester City’s Rodri.

Gasperini, Lookman, and Atalanta patrons Antonio and Luca Percassi attended the ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gasperini shared his thoughts from their flight over from Bergamo.

“He already knows he wouldn’t be here without De Roon, Ederson, Djimsiti, and the entire team supporting him. It’s not certain he would’ve achieved the same results with another club,” Gasperini remarked.

He added with a smile, “I asked him if he’d be wearing a tuxedo. He told me he wasn’t planning to, but he would wear a bow tie.”

Lookman, 27, finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings, standing as the only African player on the 30-player shortlist and the second-highest-rated Serie A player, behind Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, who placed seventh.