Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recently reveals his side of the CLASH with Mikel Arteta:

“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 hot and 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 given me permission to go see her. So he gives me authorization and tells me to check with the doc about the return in relation to covid.

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, 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 me up, 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 in steak. 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 from behind, he says to me: ‘Tomorrow, the coach doesn’t want you to be there.’ I said ok, I knew the next match was coming and I said to myself: ‘Damn once again everyone is going to talk about it, it’s going to be a mess, what is this crazy thing.’ I couldn’t understand it was lunar.

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 training more 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 break.”