‘Mikel Arteta said I stabbed him in the back – then I joined Chelsea’
'I didn't understand it.'
Mikel Arteta accused one of his former Arsenal players of stabbing him in the back and then watched him join Premier League rivals Chelsea just a few months later.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a turbulent four-year spell at Arsenal after signing from Borussia Dortmund in a then-club-record deal worth £56m.
The Gabon striker hit the ground running at Arsenal, finishing his first season with 31 goals in all competitions and earning a share of the Premier League Golden Boot award.
Two more productive campaigns followed before Aubameyang fell out of favour under current Gunners boss Arteta.
Arsenal’s big-money signing was left out of a north London derby in 2021, with Arteta citing ‘disciplinary issues’ as the reason after the 2-1 victory.
Similar problems occurred during the remainder of the season until Arteta stripped Aubameyang of the Arsenal captaincy in December and sanctioned his exit a month later.
Aubameyang joined Barcelona on a free transfer but returned to the Premier League just nine months later in a shock move to Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea.
By this point Aubameyang looked like a spent force, however, and he scored just one goal in 15 league games for Chelsea before leaving. He is currently playing for Al Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League.
Reflecting on the final few months of his stint at Arsenal, Aubameyang revealed he was surprised he was accused of ‘disciplinary issues’ as one of his absences was due to personal reasons.
‘I arrive [back], the coach finishes his meeting and then he grabs me and he completely tears into me,’ Aubameyang told Colinterview.
‘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”. I said “okay”.
‘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.’
Arsenal were also angered as Aubameyang attempted to force through a move to Barcelona by flying to Spain before a transfer was agreed.
‘Once again, [Arteta] 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,’ he said.
‘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.
‘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.’
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