Nigeria’s Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick, hands Atalanta the Europa League Cup, ends Bayer Leverkusen’s 361-day unbeaten run.
Lookman etched himself into Atalanta’s folklore with the stunning hat trick to secure Atalanta’s first-ever continental trophy.
The 26-year-old forward became the first player to score a hat trick in a European final since Jupp Heynckes in the 1975 Uefa Cup.
Following his superb performance in the match, Lookman was named UEFA Europa League final player of the match.
Atalanta Coach, Gian Piero Gasperini admitted that nobody expected such progress from the skipper, but Lookman insisted that the hat trick didn’t catch him by surprise.
Lookman spoke to TNT immediately after the final whistle: “It’s one of the best nights of my life.” He joined his boss, Gasperini, in a post-match news conference where he spoke about his relationship with the club management. “In the past few years, the club and coach have supported me in terms of giving me minutes, which helped me elevate my game to a new level. The first few conversations we had made me look at football a bit differently.
It made it simpler in my mind in terms of what he expected from me. It made me look at and play my game in a different light. I’m very grateful to him.”
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka told newsmen after the match, “It’s bitter, definitely, we lost a final today, but we go on, and we will make up for it on Saturday.” Remember that Bayer Leverkusen will face FC Kaiserslautern in the German League Cup on Saturday.
