Former Super Eagles captain and head coach Sunday Oliseh has lauded Ademola Lookman’s transfer to Atlético Madrid, describing the move as one that could “just have saved Nigerian football.”
Oliseh believes the switch represents a significant career upgrade for the 28-year-old winger, pointing to Atlético Madrid’s consistent presence at the highest level of European football as a defining factor.
According to the former Super Eagles midfielder, it is only fitting that a player of Lookman’s quality is now plying his trade at one of Europe’s elite clubs.
“This transfer might just have saved Nigerian football, from my own experience from the trade,” Oliseh said.
“Looking at it from this angle, Atlético Madrid plays Champions League football every year, and the bonuses from the Champions League are huge. The Spanish league pays well; you aren’t going there to earn poorly. The tax system isn’t excessive, and the cost of living in Spain is cheaper. This man will do well financially.”
Oliseh went beyond the financial benefits, stressing the psychological and developmental impact of playing for a top club.
“If you’ve never played in a top club, you won’t know the impact of playing in one. When you play in a top club, you become big, and that’s what Atlético Madrid is,” he explained. “This boy going there has just saved Nigerian football, in the sense that young players can now hope and dream of going to these top leagues.”
Oliseh’s comments carry weight given his own decorated playing career. At club level, he featured for European heavyweights such as Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, and Juventus, winning domestic league titles in both the Eredivisie and Bundesliga. On the international stage, he lifted the Africa Cup of Nations and won Olympic gold with Nigeria.
For Oliseh, Lookman’s move is more than a personal milestone; it is a statement moment that could inspire the next generation of Nigerian footballers to believe that Europe’s biggest stages remain within reach.
