Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has opened up about the turbulent 2022/23 season he endured at Chelsea, describing it as a “mess” and shedding light on his frustrations with the managerial changes and internal dynamics at the club.
Speaking to The Athletic, the Gabonese striker revealed his disappointment with former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and successor Graham Potter, calling the experience “very disrespectful.”
Aubameyang on Short-Lived Tuchel Reunion
Aubameyang joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022, reuniting with Thomas Tuchel, who had previously managed him at Borussia Dortmund.
The striker, who had recently left Barcelona following a brief stint after his Arsenal departure, admitted that he only considered the move because of Tuchel’s presence.
However, their reunion was short-lived. Aubameyang debuted under Tuchel in a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. It was a game that left the striker questioning Tuchel’s demeanour.
“I remember that day because I didn’t recognise him,” Aubameyang said. “It was not the guy I knew a few years ago. At Chelsea, it was like something was wrong. He wasn’t enjoying his time.”
Tuchel was sacked the next day, leaving Aubameyang disillusioned.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Thomas Tuchel:
"We lost [to Dinamo Zagreb] and he was p***ed off. Usually, he would go crazy but he came to the dressing room and then left. I was like, ‘This is not the guy I know. Very strange’. The next day, he was sacked."
[via @David_Ornstein]— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) January 7, 2025
Potter’s Approach Sparks Frustration
When Graham Potter replaced Tuchel, Aubameyang was excluded from Chelsea’s Champions League squad and offered a loan move to the United States, which he turned down.
“That is when I started to say, ‘OK, this is very disrespectful,’” Aubameyang shared. “I felt p***ed off. From that point, I said, ‘The season is done for me already.’”
Under Potter, Aubameyang found himself sidelined, training merely to maintain fitness. The situation worsened as Chelsea’s chaotic dressing room dynamic came to light.
“They did a mess,” he explained. “It didn’t even look like a football dressing room; it was more like rugby. Hakim Ziyech, Denis Zakaria, Kalidou Koulibaly, Romelu Lukaku… It was good I wasn’t alone. We were laughing every day, so it was OK.”
Graham Potter was hired from Brighton and the October brought three goals for Aubameyang in as many outings.
But after a home humbling by Arsenal, he barely featured. As Chelsea toiled, he implored Potter to “put me in” but “respected” the Englishman’s honesty about preferring… pic.twitter.com/OkyvY8UA8V
— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) January 7, 2025
Frank Lampard’s Apology and a Shattered Season
Frank Lampard’s interim appointment offered a glimmer of hope for Aubameyang, but it was short-lived. According to the striker, Lampard was upfront about the limitations of his role.
“He told me, ‘I’m sorry, Auba. I can’t really help you,’” Aubameyang recalled.
The striker bore no ill will toward Lampard, instead pointing to decisions made “upstairs” that left him feeling sidelined.
