Atalanta manager, Gian Piero Gasperini has thrown his support behind Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman for this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
Lookman is the only African player to be included in the final 30-man nomination list.
The 26-year old had a standout 2023, helping the Super Eagles reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
He also featured in Atalanta’s top-four finish in Serie A, securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
His most remarkable achievement came in the final of the Europa League, where he netted a hat-trick to secure Atalanta’s first-ever European trophy with a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Gasperini stated: “My personal Ballon d’Or vote would go to Ademola Lookman. His magic skills helped us to win the Europa League.”
Lookman is in reality not considered the favorite for the award, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. and Manchester City’s Rodri widely expected to lead the race.
The Nigerian international has scored two goals and provided two assists in four Serie A matches and two goals in two Champions League games in the 2024/25 season.
For Nigeria, he has scored twice in three AFCON qualifiers and was unfortunate to have a goal wrongly disallowed in a 1-0 win over Libya.
