17 years on from debut: this striker still outruns everyone | OneFootball

"I hope he can play for another ten years, because he is a truly great champion," said his coach Roberto De Zerbi after his striker's most recent gala performance. A statement you would expect from a coach about his club's greatest jewel. Or perhaps about a key player who is currently performing at the highest possible level.

But the Italian began his hymn of praise with a crucial caveat: "His only flaw is his age of 36." He was talking about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The forward has seemingly been past his prime more than once, and yet, after his return to Olympique Marseille, he is once again delivering performances reminiscent of the striker who, for years, was among the best goal scorers in the world. In Ligue 1 and also in the Champions League.

Across all competitions, Auba has collected 16 goal contributions in 16 games for OM this season. Despite his advanced footballing age, he hasn't lost any explosiveness, speed, or finishing ability. He is also one of the reasons why Marseille is hot on the heels of their great rival PSG and even outshines the star ensemble from Paris offensively. With 33 goals (PSG has 27), Aubameyang and company form the most successful attack in Ligue 1.

In the Champions League, the former Dortmund player also confirmed his excellent form with three goals and three assists. In the duel with Newcastle United, he almost single-handedly turned the match around for a 2-1 victory against the in-form English side. This was also because he regularly outpaced much younger defenders in sprints or was a step quicker in the box at decisive moments.

In the summer of 2024, things looked very different. As has happened several times in his career, there were already farewells being sung when he left Marseille for the Saudi Professional League.

The lightning-fast striker, who made his professional debut in August 2008, has often been considered "finished." When things stopped working out at Arsenal in 2021, when he was stripped of the captain's armband and chased out to Barcelona.

There, he thawed out the Blaugrana, who had been left in shock after Lionel Messi's departure. Especially memorable was his brace at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the furious 4-0 Clásico win. Back then, he had a message for everyone who had already written him off.

Given the truly positive second half of the season with the Catalans (eleven goals in 18 games), the next transfer in the summer of 2022 was quite a surprise. Especially since it was to Chelsea.

"The transfer was a damn big mistake," the veteran recently said openly in a livestream with content creator Troopz. Aubameyang explained that he had just gone through a very disturbing time at Barcelona, where he and his family were victims of a violent burglary. The attackers beat the Gabonese international, broke his jaw, and left lasting psychological scars. It was also a time when FC Barcelona needed to sell a player.

"The only option was Chelsea, so I told my family I agreed—even if it was Chelsea," said the 36-year-old. At Chelsea, the striker hoped for a reunion with Thomas Tuchel, his former BVB coach. But Tuchel was sacked shortly after Aubameyang's signing. Difficult months followed, with only three goals in 21 appearances for the Blues. Of course, at this point, many experts once again considered him "finished."

But 27 goals in Ligue 1 and the Europa League told a different story. This was followed by the aforementioned move to Saudi Arabia, where he lasted only one season before returning to Olympique Marseille. In the 5-1 win over Nice last weekend, Auba, of course, scored again. It was his 400th career goal. He became the first African ever to reach this milestone.

This monstrous number is hardly surprising when you look at his scoring rates at each of his stops. Wherever he played, goals rained down.

And that's still true in the third late autumn of his career, as his latest resurrection at the French top club impressively shows. For Aubameyang, age seems to be just a number and certainly not a flaw. Perhaps he will fulfill his club coach's wish and actually play for another ten years. Anyone who can still outrun everyone at 36 years old might just be capable of this wild dream.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 CHRISTOPHE SIMON - AFP or licensors