‘It was a big mistake‘ — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reflects on misstep of leaving Barcelona for Chelsea in 2022 | OneFootball

Former Barcelona players often end up regretting their decision to leave or even end up struggling in terms of their careers afterwards. However, it takes a special kind of player to succeed at the Catalan club in the first place.

One man who managed to do so in the short amount of time that he spent at the club was Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Now playing for French side Marseille, he recently opened up about his regrets following his time at Barça.

As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, the 36-year-old forward confessed that following his time at the Catalan club, his decision to join Chelsea was a huge mistake. However, it was one that he was essentially forced to make as well:

“It was a big mistake to go to Chelsea. A big mistake… At that moment, I was going through a bad time at Barça. My house had just been robbed, and Barça needed to sell a player, either Depay or me.”

Yet, Chelsea was the only realistic offer on the table for him at the time as well:

“The only offer on the table was Chelsea’s. I accepted it. I would have gone for my family, even if it was to Chelsea… I thought it would go well. Giroud went from Arsenal to Chelsea and had no problems, but for me it was different.”

Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images

His time at Chelsea proved short-lived, lasting just one season before he returned to France in July 2023 to join Olympique de Marseille, with a brief one-year stint in the Saudi league in between. Despite his short tenure, Aubameyang left a lasting mark at Barcelona, most memorably scoring a brace against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Unfortunately, it is a bittersweet tale considering just how impactful Aubameyang was during his time at Barcelona under Xavi Hernandez. Considering his impact and influence, it is indeed sad to see him reflect on his past in the way that he did.