'I didn't go partying': Aubameyang blames Arteta for forcing him out of Arsenal

Former Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed what went down between him and manager Mikel Arteta that led to his ouster from the London-based club. Aubameyang was offloaded to Barcelona in January 2022 after having a falling out with Arteta over what club described at the time as 'disciplinary issues'.

Aubameyang was the club captain when he led Arsenal to FA Cup glory in 2020. However,by early 2021, he was dropped out of the squad after missing crucial matches, including the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

The breakdown in relationship

When Aubameyang's mother fell ill and the Gabon striker was forced to tend to her, the relationship between him and the club took a nosedive.

After initially taking permission to go to his mother,Aubameyang had to stay back due to additional examinations that her mother had to undergo. Upon returning to London, Arteta went ballistic on him, in front of the entire team.

“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," Aubameyang told Colinterview.

"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 '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," he added.

After the striker was stripped off his captaincy, Norway's Martin Odegaard was handed the responsibility as Arteta sought to impose himself on the club.

Aubameyang was brought to Arsenal by former manager Arsene Wenger in 2018for a then-club-record fee. His FA Cup win with Arsenal remains the last major trophy the club have won since, despite making major improvements in the squad.

(With inputs from agencies)