Former Super Eagles coach, Jo Bonfrere, has claimed that the decision to take Ademola Lookman by Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone, cost the team as they suffered a 1–0 defeat to Arsenal.
The LaLiga side were eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday night on a 2-1 aggregate.
Lookman started the game at the Emirates alongside Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez in attack.
But it was Arsenal who scored before the break through captain for the night, Bukayo Saka.
As Atletico fought back to equalize, Simeone pulled out Lookman in the 57th minute and replaced him with Nahuel Molina.
“I watched the match. I’m not the Atletico Madrid coach, but when Diego Simeone removed Lookman early in the second half, he took away ‘speed’ from the team,” Bonfrere told Completesports.
“Lookman had pace and was effective in one-on-one situations. But when Simeone decided to take him off in the 57th minute and replaced him with players who are more physically gifted, I knew Atletico Madrid would struggle.”