Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has recounted the clash he had with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta which ultimately led to his exit in the winter of 2022.
It occurred during the 2021-22 season when the football world was still grappling with the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Arteta gave Aubameyang permission to travel to see his mother who was suffering from a stroke, but things took a different turn when the Gabon striker returned to England and had to self-isolate for a period of time which delayed his return into the Arsenal squad.
“It was during the Covid period and we were playing, I think, Everton,” Aubameyang told Colinterview as per Talksport.
“My season wasn’t great, we were struggling in the league and the day before the coach told us: ‘Look, it doesn’t matter if we win or not, you have a day off. But if you want to leave, you notify yourself before the match because you have to follow the health safety rules.’
“My mother a few months before had a stroke, it was going to be Christmas time so I went to see the coach and I said to him: ‘Coach, I’m coming to see you because I’d like to leave, I’m going to go pick up my mother to bring her back for the holidays.’ He tells me no problem.
“I arrive [back], the coach finishes his meeting and then he grabs me and he completely tears into me, he shouts at me like I’m crazy, he says: ‘You put a knife in my back. You can’t do that to me given the times we’re going through.’
“At that moment I tell myself that I’m not going to answer him because it’s going to end angrily.
“I didn’t go partying. He knows very well the reason for my departure so at that moment I don’t understand why he is lecturing me like this. I go home and the doctor calls me and says ‘Tomorrow, the coach doesn’t want you to be there’.”
Aubameyang was omitted from the Arsenal squad that faced Southampton on December 11, with manager Arteta citing disciplinary reasons.
31 January 2018: Arsenal sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a then-club-record £56m fee
◉ 163 games
◉ 92 goals
◉ 20 assists
◉ 2 trophies
◉ 1 Golden Boot31 January 2022: Barcelona sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal on a free transfer
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 1, 2022
The former Borussia Dortmund player was stripped of the captaincy three days later and ultimately left the club my mutual consent on February 1.
He went on to play for Barcelona, Chelsea and is presently with Olympique Marseille.
