‘No limits’ – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang outlines Marseille’s Champions League hopes | OneFootball

After a season in Saudi Arabia, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (36) has returned to Marseille, and he’s not hiding his excitement. The former Chelsea, Arsenal, and Barcelona striker spoke about the process of re-joining the club at a press conference attended by Get French Football News on Friday.

De Zerbi, Benatia, and an easy decisionAubameyang revealed that a January discussion with OM’s new sporting director Mehdi Benatia laid the foundations for a summer move: “We had a discussion in January to see how things might go. This year it was with Mehdi and Pablo [Longoria], and honestly they didn’t need to convince me. I had watched most of the season — it was a quick process.”But perhaps the most persuasive voice was that of new OM manager Roberto De Zerbi. “We talked, of course. He didn’t want me to leave last time, so he has been teasing me since then. The idea now is to bring my experience and play football. I’m someone who is flexible.”

“No regrets” about Saudi spellDespite his quick return to France, Aubameyang insists he has no regrets about moving to Saudi Arabia: “I progressed technically, I helped the team play, and I played as part of a strike partnership. The speed? It’s still there. But when I watched Marseille last season, I wanted to be a part of that team.”On Marseille’s growth under De ZerbiAubameyang had nothing but praise for the structural progress at OM: “It’s a lot of work done by Mehdi and Pablo, and a coach with strong ideas. We all know De Zerbi-ball. It’s a good thing for the club — it moves it forward.”On the Champions League: “No limits” Marseille are set to return to the Champions League this season, and Aubameyang is dreaming big: “If we want to compete with the best, we have to give ourselves the means which is what the club is doing this summer. For some it will be a first, for others not — but personally, I want to go as far as possible. I don’t put limits on myself.”

He’s also motivated by last season’s domestic disappointment in the Coupe de France as well as OM’s exit in the Europa League semi-finals against Atalanta in 2023-2024: “There’s always a sense of revenge in me, and considering the season we had, that feeling is strong.”GFFN | George Boxall – reporting from La Commanderie, Marseille.