Ademola Lookman, who played a pivotal role in Atalanta’s pursuit of their first European title, was surprisingly left off the shortlist for Italy’s prestigious football federation yearly awards.
Lookman shone brightly in the Europa League, especially during the final, where his hat-trick led Atalanta to a victory over the previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen on May 22. His outstanding performance in the tournament included five goals and one assist in 11 matches, earning him the man of the match and the match ball after the final in Dublin, Ireland.
In Serie A, Lookman also made significant contributions, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in 29 games, helping Atalanta secure the 5th spot on the league table with two games remaining. Additionally, he played a crucial role in Atalanta’s journey to the Coppa Italia final, where they were narrowly defeated by Juventus.
Despite these achievements, Lookman was not recognized in the end-of-season awards by Italy’s football federation. His compatriot, Victor Osimhen, faced a similar fate. Although Osimhen battled fitness issues throughout the season, he still managed to score 15 goals and provide three assists in 24 games for Napoli. He also netted two goals in six Champions League matches.
Osimhen, who was previously nominated and won the league’s best striker award last season, did not receive a nomination this year. Instead, the nominations for the best striker of the season went to AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, Roma’s Paulo Dybala, and Juventus’ leading scorer Dusan Vlahovic. The winner of the Serie A MVP award will be announced without a shortlist on May 24.
