Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has opened up about his tumultuous start at Chelsea, describing his debut for the club as the “worst game of my life.”
The Gabonese striker, now playing for Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, spoke candidly about the challenges he faced upon his arrival and the chaotic state of the club.
Aubameyang joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of £10.3 million from Barcelona, just months after leaving Arsenal following a fallout with manager Mikel Arteta.
The move reunited him with former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, under whom he thrived in Germany. However, their reunion was short-lived, as Tuchel was sacked just five days after Aubameyang’s arrival.
The striker made his Chelsea debut in Tuchel’s final game—a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb—despite ignoring medical advice to play.
Read Also: Transfer Gossip Today: Arsenal Consider PSG’s Kang-in Lee, But His Price Has Doubled
Reflecting on the experience in an interview with The Athletic, Aubameyang said:
“When you arrive somewhere new, you want to show straight away you’re involved. It was the worst game of my life, but I did it because I had to play.”
Aubameyang also recalled a disconnect with Tuchel during their brief time together at Chelsea:
“I didn’t recognize him. It was not the guy I knew a few years ago. We had a close relationship at Dortmund, but at Chelsea, something was wrong.
He wasn’t enjoying his time. After the game, he came to the dressing room, didn’t say much, and left. The next day, he was sacked.”
The striker criticized the club’s lack of organization during his tenure, describing the dressing room atmosphere as chaotic:
“They made a mess. 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.”
Aubameyang also admitted he struggled to connect with the Chelsea fans, who expected the same performances they had seen during his time at Arsenal:
“I never had that connection. The fans wanted the Auba they saw at Arsenal, but I wasn’t ready for that.
I didn’t get the opportunity, and after what happened in Barcelona, I needed a break.”
Both Aubameyang and Chelsea have moved on since that difficult period.
The striker’s time at Stamford Bridge was short-lived, and the club has undergone significant changes, distancing itself from the disarray of recent years.
For Aubameyang, the experience served as a learning curve, and his move to Saudi Arabia marks a fresh start after a chaotic chapter in his career.
