Ademola Lookman fired Atalanta to Europa League glory with a sensational hat-trick, sealing a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the final on Wednesday.
This triumph marks Atalanta’s second major trophy in their 117-year history and breaks Italy’s 25-year drought in the competition, last won by Parma in 1999 when it was known as the UEFA Cup.
Manager Gian Piero Gasperini expressed immense pride in his squad, heralding the victory as the end of “cursed” years for Italian clubs in the Europa League.
Lookman, whose career resurgence under Gasperini has been noteworthy, opened the scoring early with a precise finish after a brilliant run by Davide Zappacosta.
He doubled the lead with a stunning right-footed strike from outside the box, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by Leverkusen.
The Nigerian forward completed his hat-trick 15 minutes before full-time, sealing the fate of the German champions, who had been unbeaten in 51 games before this final.
Ademola Lookman etched his name in the history books on Wednesday by becoming the first player to ever score a hat-trick in a Europa League final.
