Atalanta star Ademola Lookman shared a heartwarming moment with his family after his stellar performance in the Europa League final last night.
Football fans worldwide watched in excitement as Atalanta secured their first-ever Europa League trophy. Lookman’s hat-trick not only sealed a 3-0 victory against Bayer Leverkusen but also ended their unbeaten streak.
Lookman’s parents were present at the Aviva Stadium to witness their son’s historic achievement. After the match, they joined him on the pitch, showering him with hugs and kisses. In a proud dad moment, Lookman’s father joyfully exclaimed, “That’s my son!”
The Nigerian winger wrote his name into Atalanta’s history with his Europa League final hat-trick, becoming the sixth player to achieve this feat in a European final and the first since Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.
The 26-year-old London-born Nigerian winger had never reached double figures in a season for Charlton, Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham, or Leicester. However, he has now scored 15 goals in each of his two seasons with Atalanta.
Immediately after the final whistle, Lookman told TNT Sports, “It’s one of the best nights of my life.” He hinted at a planned celebration, saying, “We’ve got to celebrate; we made history tonight.”
Lookman joined coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s post-match press conference, where he praised the support he received from the club and coach, which he credits for elevating his game.
“The past few years, the club and coach have supported me in terms of giving me minutes… it’s helped me elevate my game to a new level,” he said. “The first few conversations we had made me look at football differently. It made it simpler in my mind in terms of what he expected from me.”
