Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opens up on Mikel Arteta feud & Arsenal exit
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has accused Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta of lacking humanity over the feud which led to his departure from the Emirates Stadium in 2022.
Aubameyang was the team captain when Arteta arrived and spent two years in the post before a clash over a late return to training saw him stripped of the armband and banished from the squad. He ultimately joined Barcelona on a free transfer on the final day of the January transfer window.
Speaking to Colinterview, Aubameyang revealed his side of the story, taking some of the responsibility while also questioning Arteta’s response to the situation.
„It was during the Covid period and we were playing, I think, Everton,“ Aubameyang recalled. „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 the country, tell us 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 [for the day off], I’m going to go pick up my mother to bring her back for the holidays‘. He tells me no problem. He knew very well what had happened, the day it happened he had already given me permission to go see her. So he gives me authorisation and tells me to check with the doctor about the return in relation to Covid.
„I’m going home to Laval, normally I would leave on the day off and return in the evening rather than the morning of training. My mother had medical tests to do, I couldn’t leave in the evening so I left the next morning on training day. Once I got there, I had to take my [Covid] test but in fact I should have done it the day before since I was coming from another country.
„I arrive, 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.“
Despite his hope that the situation would blow over, Aubameyang soon realised that Arteta was not prepared to forgive and forget.
The former Arsenal striker continued: „I go home and the doctor calls me and says ‚Tomorrow, the coach doesn’t want you to be there‘. I said okay, I knew the next match was coming and I said to myself: ‚Damn, once again everyone is going to talk about me, it’s going to be a mess, this is crazy’. I couldn’t understand it.
„The days pass and the doctor tells me: ‚Look, he doesn’t want you to be with the group anymore, but you will be able to come and train but separately‘. I say to myself okay… And then afterwards, he calls me and we have a meeting so he can explain to me that firstly, he’s taking away the captain’s armband, and secondly, I’m no longer training with the group.
„Once again, he explains why he is against me during this period when it was complicated for the club. That I have to be an example and that I couldn’t do that. At that moment, I said: ‚I admit that I have my share of responsibility but the real cause I think you can understand if you are a little bit human. You can understand my move‘.
„After that, it was over, I stayed for a month training on my own while waiting for the move away.“