Ademola Lookman Joins Lamine Yamal in Condemning Islamophobic Chants
Ademola Lookman, the Atletico Madrid winger, has voiced strong support for FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who recently expressed outrage over Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during an international friendly between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona. Yamal, a young Muslim star, took to Instagram to denounce the disrespectful behavior, stating that while the chant was directed at the opposing team, it remained intolerable as a Muslim.
Lookman Highlights Global Prevalence of the Issue
In an interview with Times of India ahead of Atletico Madrid's crucial La Liga clash against Barcelona, Lookman agreed with Yamal's sentiments and emphasized that this unfortunate phenomenon is not confined to Spain alone. "It is evident everywhere in the world," Lookman said. "People who are less educated decide to go down that route. People need to be more educated and need to become more aware of people's backgrounds and ethnicity."
The UK-born Nigerian forward, who joined Atletico from Atalanta in February, has quickly made an impact in Diego Simeone's combative squad. His performance in the Copa del Rey semifinal against Barcelona, where he scored a goal and provided an assist in a 4-0 victory, endeared him to the Metropolitano faithful and helped the club reach the final for the first time since 2013.
Adapting to Life at Atletico Madrid
Reflecting on his transition to the Spanish club, Lookman described it as an adventurous experience. "It's great to learn. It's great to be in a different environment, in a new country, learning a new language, and football is different as well," he explained. "The gaffer (Simeone) is very intense and very demanding. It is always good to have a manager like that because you want to push as much as you can and be there every single day."
Preparing for the Upcoming Barcelona Clash
With another high-stakes match against Barcelona on the horizon, Lookman plans to draw from his Copa del Rey experience. "We all know about Barcelona's quality. We played them twice in Copa del Rey, and there's a lot to take away from both games," he noted. "You can expect something unexpected, but that's football. But for us, it's obviously preparing the same way that we've been preparing in the best way possible and eke out the best result."
Praise for Antoine Griezmann and Reflections on Nigeria's World Cup Miss
Lookman also heaped praise on his teammate Antoine Griezmann, calling him a legend of the game. "His personality is what makes him special. His understanding of details on the pitch, his way of passing, his touches, the timing, and everything. Just coming here and obviously seeing that in person is hugely enlightening. When you see that up close, you realize it's something special," he said.
Despite winning the African Footballer of the Year award in 2024, following his compatriot Victor Osimhen's win the previous year, Lookman expressed disappointment over Nigeria's failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup. "Obviously, the disappointment of not qualifying for the World Cup is there for everybody," he admitted. "It's for us players and the country to feel that. We need to improve in many areas on the pitch and off the pitch as well. With the group of players that we have, we can do a lot. We showed that in the AFCON where we finished third. The most important thing is how we can affect today and how we can affect the future. We have to keep working and keep improving."
