'It's no longer criticism, it's personal' - Lawrence Ati-Zigi hits back at former coach Christopher Nimley

Black Stars goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi has hit back at his former youth coach, Christopher Nimley, accusing him of turning football criticism into a personal campaign.

Ati-Zigi's comments come after Nimley questioned the goalkeeper's communication during Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, claiming it had been a weakness since his days under him at juvenile level.

Speaking in an emotional interview with Sporty FM, the St. Gallen shot-stopper admitted the pair once shared a close relationship but said it has since deteriorated.

"Christopher Nimley has played a big role in my life, and I don't dispute that. I played in his team when I was young, so I know him. But after some time, we weren't able to maintain the relationship we had before, and things have been really bad between us," Ati-Zigi said.

Asked whether the two could reconcile, the Ghana international said he was deeply hurt by the way Nimley chose to air his views publicly.

"I don't think this is the moment to reconcile because I felt really disappointed. I heard a lot of things he said. There are always going to be critics in football, but when you keep talking about someone over and over again, it stops being criticism and becomes a personal problem."

Ati-Zigi believes Nimley's comments went beyond objective football analysis and crossed a line.

"In this particular issue, I feel it's been personal. When you hear his criticism, it no longer sounds like fair criticism but something personal. It's like, 'I don't care what this person does, I'm just going to talk about him from morning to evening.'"

The 29-year-old insisted he has no problem with constructive criticism but expects it to be balanced and fair.

"He hasn't been fair with the way he talks. If there was a problem, he didn't have to go to the media and create this whole narrative. Sometimes you try not to pay attention to these things, but eventually you hear them, and they get to you. He should find a way to criticise fairly and not make it personal because this is really not cool."

Ati-Zigi enjoyed an impressive 2026 FIFA World Cup with Ghana, producing standout performances before injury interrupted his tournament. He later returned for the Round of 32 defeat to Colombia, where he was widely regarded as the Black Stars' best performer despite the team's elimination.

 

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