Aubameyang Reflects On How Mikel Arteta Kicked Him Out Of Arsenal

Former Arsenal captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reflected on how the club’s manager, Mikel Arteta, forced him to leave the club in January 2022.

Recall that Aubameyang joined Arsenal on January 31, 2018, from Borussia Dortmund for a transfer fee worth €63.75 million.

Within a short while, the 34-year-old Gabonese striker became Arsenal’s most important player and was even made the club’s captain by coach Mikel Arteta.

Unfortunately, things went sour between Aubameyang and Arteta in late 2021 which escalated to him losing the captain armband, and also being forced to train separately.

Coach Arteta took this action because Aubameyang reportedly overspent his off day while away in France to attend to his sick mother.

On the last day of the 2022 winter transfer window, the Gabon international sealed a dramatic move to FC Barcelona after Arteta refused to play him for weeks.

Aubameyang didn’t stay too long at Barcelona before he returned to London to join Arsenal’s rivals, Chelsea in September 2022.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out well for him at Stamford Bridge and had to force his way to Marseille on July 21, 2023, where he has regained his goalscoring form.

In a recent interview with @Colininterview, Aubameyang said the way Arteta frustrated him out of Arsenal affected him.

He explained: “It was during the COVID period and we were playing, I think, Everton.

“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.

“He knew very well what had happened, the day it happened he had already permitted me to go see her. So he authorises me and tells me to check with the doctor about the return of COVID-19.

“I’m going home to Laval, normally I was supposed to leave on the free day and return in the evening rather than the morning of training. My mother had exams to do, and 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 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.

“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 ok… And then afterwards, he calls me and we have a meeting so he can explain to me that one, he’s taking away the captain’s armband, and two, I’m not training any more with the group.

“It affects a man, it was difficult. How to get out? Often we say that we have to talk about it, there’s no shame in that.”

Note that Aubameyang has scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists in 51 games in all competitions for Marseille in his debut season (2023-2024 season).