Atletico Madrid forward Lookman was interviewed by SportyTV. During the interview, he discussed his adaptation since joining Atletico Madrid, his positional flexibility, his communication with Simeone, teammates such as Julián Álvarez and Jonathan David, and looked ahead to the upcoming Madrid derby.

Hello everyone, and welcome to SportyTV's exclusive interview with Lookman. The Madrid derby is just around the corner. Ademola, how have you been? Thank you for joining us.

I'm good, thank you for having me.

We were just talking about the weather before we started. It's not as hot now. How did you adapt to the heat when you first arrived? How does it compare to Bergamo? Bergamo should be a bit cooler, right?

Yes, but it was actually very hot there too. Of course, hot is hot. It was very hot here when I arrived, but we've been training constantly and working hard, so it feels pretty good now. I've adapted well.

You've been here for nine months now. It feels like the last time we spoke was before the Copa del Rey final. You had a very busy period then, with the Champions League and the end of the season. Now you've completed a full pre-season. How are you feeling? Or rather, how is life in Spain?

It's good. I feel like I'm adapting little by little, and now I've settled in even better. I'm also trying to learn Spanish, hoping to improve.

How's the learning going?

Poco a poco, little by little. Overall, I'm still adapting and just trying to do my best every day—that's the most important thing.

I imagine you probably don't have many days off. But when you do, what does Ademola usually do? Do you go downtown? Is it easy to get around?

Yes. Sometimes I go for a walk downtown, maybe find a place to have a drink.

Do you like the food here in Spain?

Yes, I actually quite like it. There are all sorts of different options here. If I don't go out, I might just stay at home and relax with the people around me.

We're here today because you're playing Real Madrid this weekend. You've played against them before and even scored at the Bernabéu. Real Madrid has changed somewhat since you last faced them. How do you feel about facing them again?

They are a top team. We know that facing such a top side will definitely be tough. But we are ready for the challenge. Our team also has many excellent players, so we're looking forward to this match.

One of the changes is obviously Carlo Ancelotti's arrival—though I should clarify that you may be referring to recent coaching changes at Real Madrid. In terms of reputation and track record, he is one of the most successful coaches in football history. How does it feel to play against his team and face players like Kylian Mbappé, Thibaut Courtois, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham? I imagine as a player, this is what you dreamed of as a child, right?

They are a top team. As you said, they have many big names in football and a top coach. But at the end of the day, it's just a football match. For us, it's about performing as we should, so we are really looking forward to that.

You've played several different positions this season—sometimes on the left, sometimes in the middle. How does that feel? I know you're more comfortable on the left, but you've adapted well to the central position. How has that adaptation been?

I think it's a learning process. As you said, learning different positions certainly enriches my game and makes me a more well-rounded player. For me, the challenge is to master these positions and understand how to play with and without the ball. That's another aspect I need to learn and adapt to. I enjoy learning and understanding new positions and the game itself more deeply.

How do you communicate with the coach during this process? I assume he's mainly the one guiding you. How do you specifically communicate? I know he doesn't speak much English, so how do you manage?

We use some Spanish and also communicate in Italian. To be honest, I can understand quite a bit of Spanish now because it's quite similar to Italian. It's just that I don't have enough confidence to speak Spanish fluently yet. But we communicate well, and our relationship and communication are very good.

So how does it feel to learn from him? He is an excellent coach with extensive experience in European football. How is the process of learning from him as you try these different positions?

Very good and very positive. I feel like I'm pushing myself to do more. At the same time, he also gives me responsibility and expects me, as a player, to take it on. As a player, you naturally want to work hard and repay that trust with your performance. So it feels good, and the challenge is always there.

Moving on to international football. The Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are coming up soon. How do you feel about that? For Nigeria, the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations are obviously the most important competitions. So how do you feel before these qualifiers?

The whole team is really looking forward to it. We have two very important matches coming up, and the opponents are certainly tough. But we are looking forward to winning both matches. We know it will be difficult, but we will do our best.

I also want to ask about your teammate Álvarez. I don't want to ask too much because I imagine you get asked about it often, but I suspect the past few weeks or even months haven't been easy for him. As a teammate, how do you think he's doing? And how do you ensure he still feels part of the team?

Julián is Julián. Everyone knows his quality and what he's like as a player and as a person. I think everyone knows he is very important to us, and that's what matters most. He's a very good person, and he will only get better. We're very happy to have him.

Next up, I'm going to interview Jonathan David. He made an immediate impact when he arrived, performing very well. How does it feel to play with him? He's a very good striker, right?

Yes, he's a very talented player. He's eager to keep improving, to win, to score goals, and to help his teammates. He's an excellent addition to our squad.

Looking ahead to this season. Last season, you reached the Copa del Rey final, the Champions League semi-finals against Arsenal, and competed in La Liga until the very end. I often ask Diego Simeone this question, and his answer is always: "One game at a time." But when you have that excitement, thinking "we might reach the final" or "we might go far in another competition," how do you stay focused on the game in front of you? How do you keep yourselves grounded?

It's one game at a time. No kidding, it really is. The most important thing is to focus on the present, on the here and now. Our next challenge is against Real Madrid on Sunday. So we just need to focus on what's next, on the game at hand.

Actually, I'd like to test your journalistic skills. If I asked you to interview Jonathan David right now, what would you ask him? Feel free to ask something interesting.

I would ask him: "How are you adapting to life in Madrid now?"

Last question—let's talk about this weekend's match again. If you play on the left, you might face a strong right-back like Denzel Dumfries. Real Madrid's entire defense has many excellent players, and we've just discussed their strength. How much are you looking forward to this challenge of testing yourself against the best full-backs in the world?

Of course, the challenge is there. They are top players, and we are also top players. So this confrontation itself is a challenge. As a player, from a personal perspective, you naturally look forward to such challenges. You want to gain the upper hand in the contest with your opponents, and you need to be strong in every aspect—physical, mental, and psychological. You have to do everything you can to gain an advantage.

Do you feel you've improved since you came here? This might sound a bit silly, but have you noticed changes in your game and suddenly realized: "Wow, I didn't have this before"?

Of course. For me, the most important thing is feeling that I am improving. At the same time, I always want to continue improving, to get better, and to constantly challenge myself. These things have definitely been happening since I came here. Playing for Atletico Madrid itself is full of challenges, and I'm surrounded by top players. Being part of this team, I feel like I am indeed making progress little by little.

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