According to Gasperini, 'Atalanta can challenge for Scudetto, and Lookman is professional'.

Gian Piero Gasperini admits Atalanta is challenging for the Scudetto after closing the gap to three points on new leaders Inter, but dismisses the Ademola Lookman controversy. 'We're all professionals.'

La Dea has had a tense week after being eliminated from the Champions League play-offs by Club Brugge.

Above all, there was a bitter and very public feud between the coach and Lookman over the striker's insistence on stepping up for a penalty kick, despite being what Gasp described as "one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen."

Lookman made his return to the starting lineup this evening for the first time in nearly a month, scoring two excellent goals in a 5-0 victory over Empoli.

When the Nigeria international was substituted late in the game, he shook hands with assistant manager Tullio Gritti but not the head coach.

"This is a team that can win or lose, but the performances have been consistently good. We won away to Verona and Como, and as we saw today, big teams lost, so there are no easy games," Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.

It was explained to him that Lookman had started regardless of the controversy, so they had chosen a professional path forward during this time.

"I'm not sure what you mean by professional." We're all professionals here. "We had a good game and scored some good goals," said the coach.

Gasperini hopes to win Serie A with Atalanta.

This result puts them three points behind leaders Inter and two behind Napoli, with those two clubs facing off next weekend, potentially blowing the Scudetto race wide open.

"After 26 rounds, we have achieved an extraordinary position in the table. The next match is against Venezia, which is by no means easy, so we hope to get closer to one or both when they face off next weekend. I believe Atalanta's campaign has been extraordinary, and we are very proud of it.

"A lot can also depend on the times when you play specific games. There are quality teams near the bottom of the table, and if you are not 100%, they can cause major problems," Gasperini added.

"We're also entering the crucial stages of the season, with many games beginning to weigh on the top clubs. There are many hidden dangers out there, which is what makes Serie A so intriguing."

Gasperini had previously refused to consider their status as title contenders, but in Week 26, with Champions League and Coppa Italia commitments off their schedule, he is finally open to the possibility.

"We've been extremely unlucky with a series of injuries, particularly Scalvini and Scamacca, who were just recovering when we lost them again, as well as Kossounou. I can't say I expected us to be up there; I said earlier this season that if we were still there with 10 rounds left, we'd talk. We're up there now, with 12 to go. We were also on top of the table for a while.

"To be honest, after we won the Europa League and had some plans, I looked around and thought Inter were the only real contenders for the title, and we'd compete for the other positions. What Napoli has done is also extraordinary, but if we are up there, we should keep trying," Gasperini concluded.

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