Sacchi backs Juric after Lookman Champions League row: ‘I’d have reacted the same’

Arrigo Sacchi says that he would have ‘reacted in the same way’ as Ivan Juric, had one of his players acted as Ademola Lookman did during Atalanta’s 1-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday night. 

Atalanta snatched all three points in controversial scenes after Lazar Samardzic scored from a 90th minute counter attack following Marseille appeals for an Ederson handball in the area down at the other end. 

The match was also marked by an argument on the touchline between Atalanta head coach Juric and star forward Lookman following the attacker’s second-half substitution. 

Lookman appeared to be frustrated with Juric’s decision to take him off with the scores at 0-0, Juric then grabbed and pulled Lookman by the arm, and coaching staff had to quickly step in to calm the situation. 

Ademola Lookman and Atalanta manager Ivan Jurić exchange a few words after the Nigerian forward was subbed off for Yunus Musah 👀 pic.twitter.com/a28hm3b8In

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While lots of supporters online, plus various pundits after full-time thought that Juric was in the wrong to grab Lookman by the arm in front of the world’s cameras, Sacchi believes that the player should have better accepted the coach’s decision to take him off. 

“I was sorry to see the argument between him and Lookman after the striker’s substitution,” Sacchi wrote in his La Gazzetta dello Sport column. 

“I tried to put myself in Juric’s shows, and I concluded that I would’ve reacted in that way as well. Players don’t always understand that the coach always needs to be respected, even if you don’t agree with their decisions.

“I hope that this incident will be clarified quickly, and that they draw a line under it for the good of the group.”