Samuel Umtiti Sends Message To Ademola Lookman At Atletico Madrid

Former France and Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has urged Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman to remain grounded and keep pushing after his eye-catching performance for Atlético Madrid against FC Barcelona.

Umtiti was at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on commentary duty for DAZN as Atletico dismantled his former club 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash.

It turned into a memorable night for Lookman, who found the net in front of the home supporters for the first time since his move.

The Nigerian attacker shared the scoresheet with Julian Alvarez and Umtiti’s former France teammate Antoine Griezmann, in a performance that left fans buzzing long after the final whistle. Griezmann later handed Lookman’s shirt to Umtiti.

Speaking after the match, the 2018 World Cup winner was full of praise but quick to stress the importance of consistency.

“Keep going like this, you have to keep going,” said the two-time La Liga winner to Lookman.

“Players like Antoine (Griezmann) are really smart, and Julian (Alvarez) is also very skilled with the ball. So you have to keep going,” Umtiti said again, encouraging the 2024 CAF Player of the Year to maintain good teamwork and play well with his teammates.

Lookman, who has settled swiftly into life in Madrid, credited the understanding within the squad for his bright start.

“I think all the players are really good at that, so they kind of know where everyone else is on the field,” he said.

“So, it’s mostly about knowing what to do and when to do it, which is nice to play with them.”