Ademola Lookman etched himself into Atalanta folklore with a Europa League final hat-trick that he says didn’t catch him by surprise – although boss Gian Piero Gasperini admitted nobody could have expected his progress.

The London-born Nigeria winger became only the sixth player to score a hat-trick in a European final – the first since Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1975 Uefa Cup – with all three goals in the Italian side’s win over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.

That is the Bayer Leverkusen side led by Xabi Alonso, which had not lost a single game of football for 361 days.

Lookman, 26, had never managed double figures in a season for Charlton, Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham or Leicester.

After this treble the former England Under-21 winger, who now represents Nigeria at international level, has netted 15 goals in each of his two seasons with Atalanta.

Gasperini said: “We had a senior manager at Atalanta [Lee Congerton] who had worked at Leicester, who saw the opportunity to bring him in and thought he was a possible useful player.

“Nobody could ever imagine he’d could make this much progress. He wasn’t overly prolific in England. I changed his position to a more attacking role.

“Tonight he achieved something which will remain in the annals of football history – a stunning hat-trick.”

Lookman was asked afterwards if he could have imagined this growing up in Wandsworth and when he started out at Charlton’s academy.

“Probably, yeah,” he replied. “I’ve always had the confidence in my ability.

“In the past two years I’ve been able to take my game to a new level and show it on a more consistent basis.

“Maybe it could have come earlier but it’s come now. I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made but this is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this.”

‘One of the best nights of my life’
Immediately after the final whistle Lookman told TNT Sports “it’s one of the best nights of my life”. Perhaps understated.

A Dublin party was “100%” planned, he added. “We’ve got to celebrate, we made history tonight.”

Lookman joined Gasperini’s post-match news conference midway through and after the manager had left he spoke about the role he has had in his career.

“The past few years, the club and coach have supported me in terms of giving me minutes… it’s helped me elevate my game to a new level,” he added.

“The first few conversations we had, made me look at football a bit differently. It made it simpler in my mind in terms of what he expected from me.

“It made me look at, and play, my game in a different light. I’m very grateful to him.”

Lookman laughed when an Italian journalist claimed a street may be named after him in Bergamo one day.

The forward is one of about 120,000 people who live in the northern Italian city close to Milan.

“I feel the support from the fans from the first minute I was in Bergamo,” he added. “The city of Bergamo gives me a sense of calmness. It’s a very calm, relaxed city and that has helped me a lot with my living style. I’m focused on the important things.

Lookman’s mentor and coach of former youth side Waterloo, Felix Emanus, also spoke to TNT Sports after the game.

“I really can’t tell you my emotions – sky high,” he said. “We’ve been dreaming about this for a long time, since Ade was a kid at Waterloo. Tonight was a dream come true.

“I cried when the third goal went in. I’m so happy for Ade. He works so hard, quiet lad. Sometimes misunderstood because of his quietness but he’s a great kid. Wants to learn, wants to always get better and wants to reach the top.”

At the age of 66 years and 117 days, Gian Piero Gasperini is the oldest coach to win the Europa League

While this may be remembered as the Lookman final, Atalanta’s success is just as remarkable.

In their 116-year history, this was only their second trophy – after the 1963 Coppa Italia.

Just last week they lost the Coppa Italia final to Juventus. What a way to bounce back.

Gasperini’s men also became the first Italian team to win this tournament since 1999.

“I am hugely proud for all of Italy because it was a cursed trophy,” said the 66-year-old, who took charge of the club in 2016. “Having won it with Atalanta is perhaps one of those footballing fairytales that rarely crop up.

“It gives hope for meritocracy. It doesn’t come down to Super Leagues. You can show faith in other teams without big bills and budgets.

“Let’s try to savour this win before thinking about how far we can go next season. This team has grown with results. We’ve done so while making sure we balance the books or turn a profit and that’s the most exceptional element of this club.

“Typically the clubs who are winning things struggle to keep costs down. Atalanta have managed to win things while being a financially sustainable club. That’s extraordinary.”

Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent.

Pochettino departs Chelsea after less than a year in charge having agreed a two-year deal last summer. Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino have left the club in addition to Pochettino.

Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League in a massive improvement from the previous year, but the former Spurs boss becomes the third permanent coach the club have parted ways with since the 2022 takeover.

The decision comes following a season of uncertainty around the Argentine coach’s position after a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge. For much of 2023/24 the team languished in midtable before a turn in fortunes from February saw them march up the table.

Mauricio Pochettino releases statement as Chelsea confirm exit after just one season in charge

A meeting between Pochettino and sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley and co-owner Behdad Eghbali took place in which Pochettino agreed to his departure.

Sporting Directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in the club’s statement: “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season. He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career.”

Mauricio Pochettino said: “Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history. The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.”

Mauricio Pochettino during Chelsea’s fifth straight win to close the Premier League season.
T he Blues boss hinted ahead of the end of the season that a decision on his future would not only be in the hands of the club. “Look, it is not important,” he said.

“The most important thing is to keep going working if we are all happy, not only the owners happy with us, the sporting directors with us, or us with the organisation the club is building here because then we are all under assessment.

“If we are happy, perfect. But it is not only if the owner are happy or the sporting directors are happy. If we are happy, you need to ask also because we said ‘look maybe we are not happy with certain situations and maybe we are not happy and we need to split.

“It is not going to be the first time that a coaching staff decide at the end of the season not to keep going. But understand that it is always the opposite way, always the owners or the sporting director.

Feyenoord boss, Arne Slot has been named as Liverpool’s new manager, succeeding German Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Speaking shortly after he was confirmed as Liverpool’s new head coach, Slot says the opportunity to work at one at of the “biggest clubs in the world “was “difficult to ignore”.

The Reds agreed a compensation deal worth £9.4m with Feyenoord in April after the 45-year-old was identified as the man to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Klopp, who had been in charge of Liverpool since October 2015, left the club following their season-finale win against Wolves on Sunday.

After the game, the 56-year-old German called on Liverpool fans to get behind their new boss, chanting “Arne Slot, na na na na na”.

Slot’s three-year contract at Liverpool will officially start on 1 June, subject to a work permit.

“It is certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you have experienced so many wonderful moments and worked successfully with so many wonderful people,” Slot told Feyenoord’s club website.

“But as a sportsman, an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is difficult to ignore.”

The Dutchman led Feyenoord to the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, while this season they have won the Dutch Cup and finished second in the league.

The club’s general manager Dennis te Kloese said: “At Feyenoord you don’t like to let go of a trainer who has meant as much to the club as Arne.

“At the same time, we understand very well that working at a club like Liverpool is a special and unique opportunity for him. With that in mind, we started the conversation to see if we could find a solution together, and in the end we succeeded.”

It is believed that the attacking style of Slot’s teams, his personality and his ability to develop players were key factors in making him Liverpool’s top choice for the job.

Slot took over as Feyenoord manager in 2021 and confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League when he was linked with Tottenham in 2023.

Anfield

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who guided Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title this season, was also linked with the position at Anfield.

But the 42-year-old Spaniard ended speculation in March when he said he would remain with Leverkusen for the time being.

Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim was also reported to have been a contender to take over from Klopp, who announced in January he would leave Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Slot’s route to Liverpool
A former midfielder, Slot spent his entire playing career in the Netherlands, making more than 100 appearances for both FC Zwolle and NAC Breda.

After retiring from playing, he began his coaching career as a youth coach at PEC Zwolle before moving to SC Cambuur to become an assistant manager.

He moved to AZ Alkmaar in 2017 and stepped up to become manager two years later. In his first season in charge, they were second, level on points with leaders Ajax, when the Covid-19 pandemic brought the season to a premature end.

He was sacked in December 2020 when it emerged that he had been negotiating with Feyenoord.

Slot took charge of Feyenoord in the summer of 2021 and won the Eredivisie with the club in 2022-23 and triumphed in the Dutch Cup this season.

The Slot era will officially start on 1 June and he will arrive after a thorough recruitment process held by the Reds.

Liverpool’s research, which included looking at data and character among other markers, resulted in Slot emerging as their preferred candidate.

His record with Alkmaar and Feyenoord pointed to a manager able to over-perform compared with the resources at his disposal, an impressive record for developing players and a style of football Liverpool think suits their squad.

Klopp was renowned for his ‘heavy metal’ game and the Reds believe Slot will bring a dynamic, high energy and possession based football to the club.

He has also been given the title of head coach rather than manager in a move that the Anfield club believe reflects the modern game and works better from a structural perspective.

Slot has a hard act to follow in Klopp and we will find out next season if the data matches up with results and performances on the pitch.