Italian soccer star Lorenzo Lucca ignited a firestorm of controversy this weekend after he stubbornly took a penalty kick against the will of his own teammates.
On Friday night, Serie A team Lecce hosted Lucca’s Udinese squad at Stadio Via del mare in Lecce, Italy. Udinese was awarded a penalty kick in the 29th minute after Lecce centerback Gaby Jean fouled Udinese Sandi Lovric.
However, it took several more minutes before the actual kick took place. Udinese captain Florian Thauvin was the team’s designated penalty kick taker. But Lucca grabbed the ball before Thauvin and defiantly stood on the penalty spot with the intention of kicking it himself.
Thauvin and other Udinese players vehemently argued with Lucca, but the latter still claimed the penalty kick for himself.
Despite the on-field drama, Lucca confidently blasted the ball past Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone to give Udinese a 1-0 lead. None of Lucca’s teammates celebrated. Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic immediately subbed Lucca out over the insubordination.
The contentious penalty kick ended up being the only goal scored all game as Udinese escaped with a 1-0 victory.
Lucca, Udinese’s top goal-scorer this season, could have been frustrated given that Thauvin had missed his last two penalty kicks. Lucca scored the decisive goal on Friday, but he may have alienated himself from the rest of his team in doing so.
