Fans and pundits have sided with Ademola Lookman on a pitch-side row with the Atalanta coach, while a top coach disagreed.
Atalanta coach Ivan Juric grabbed and pulled Ademola Lookman by the arm after he substituted him in the second half of a UEFA Champions League clash at Olympique Marseille.
Former Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi said he would do the same thing that Juric did.
“I was sorry to see the argument between him (Juric) and Lookman after the striker’s substitution,” Sacchi wrote in his La Gazzetta dello Sport column.
“I tried to put myself in Juric’s shoes and I concluded that I would’ve reacted in that way as well.
“Players don’t always understand that the coach always needs to be respected, even if you don’t agree with their decisions.
“I hope that this incident will be clarified quickly, and that they draw a line under it for the good of the group.”
However, the majority of fans and pundits said the Atalanta coach did not do the right thing in the circumstance.
Former player and now pundit with CBS Sports Nigel Reo-Coker said: “When it comes to responsibility in positions of power, Juric is completely in the wrong here.
“You, as a manager, cannot do that, regardless of what’s been said.
“You’re a football manager, managing Atalanta, It’s (being broadcast) around the world. You cannot do that.
“If you put your hands on a player physically like that, you’ve lost. Full stop.”
