Folarin Balogun No Longer on Penalty Duty
AS Monaco manager Adi Hütter has officially removed Folarin Balogun from penalty-taking duties following his recent miss against RC Lens.
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Balogun's struggles from the spot have been evident since his arrival at Monaco from Arsenal last summer. He has missed four penalties in total, with two crucial misses against OGC Nice and another in the Coupe de France shootout against Rouen, resulting in costly defeats for Les Monégasques.
Hütter's decision marks another significant move by the manager. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Hütter stated, "He is no longer our penalty taker. The No.1 now is Wissam Ben Yedder. When he isn’t on the pitch, the decision is in my hands."
This decision follows a series of recent managerial choices by Hütter, including appointing Denis Zakaria as captain amidst a downturn in form and making a goalkeeping change following a blunder by Philipp Köhn against Toulouse FC.
Despite Balogun's penalty struggles, Hütter praised the forward for his overall contributions, particularly highlighting his goal against Lens. "I get the feeling that he wants to prove to everyone that he is a top-level forward. By bringing this impact, as he did against Lens, he is helping us a lot," said Hütter.
Hütter emphasized the need to differentiate between Balogun's performance and his penalty-taking, expressing confidence in the player's abilities despite his struggles from the spot.