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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has spoken out about his departure from Arsenal, revealing the moment Mikel Arteta reduced him to tears after omitting him from the starting lineup.
Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang revealed in a candid interview with The Athletic the emotional turmoil he experienced under manager Mikel Arteta before leaving the club.
Aubameyang, who joined Arsenal in January 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite, saw his relationship with Arteta deteriorate over time. The tipping point came in March 2021 when Aubameyang arrived late for the team bus ahead of a crucial north London derby against Tottenham. Arteta’s decision to bench him for the match led to a heated confrontation between the two.
Recalling the incident, Aubameyang said, “When we got to the hotel, he called me to his room and said I wasn’t going to play. He was strict. The rules are the rules. I felt hurt. I had tears because I wanted to play that game, badly. I didn’t want to hurt anybody. The next day we had a meeting and I stood up in front of everyone to say sorry. He also came to my house to speak, because he didn’t want this to be chaos. I said, ‘It’s going to be okay.’ But from then it was not the same.”
Aubameyang’s struggles were compounded by personal challenges, including caring for his ill mother. Despite his contributions to the team, including scoring 92 goals in 163 appearances, the disciplinary issues and strained relationship with Arteta ultimately led to his contract termination in February 2022.
Reflecting on his time at Arsenal, Aubameyang admitted, “I wanted to push it, I just wanted to go. My mistake. I should have come back the night before but I arrived in the morning. I didn’t tell them that I would miss the flight because I was preoccupied with my mum’s stuff. I went directly to a team meeting. Everything was normal. After that, he said, ‘Come with me. He said I could not do this because I was the captain and it was not acceptable. He said I gave him a knife in his back; I don’t know why he said that. I was really p**sed off because it was not true and he knew why I flew. He knew the reason and what was happening, he knew I was struggling that year. I was expecting help from him, not killing me like this.
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