OM: former club member reassures fans about Aubameyang's fitness | OneFootball

Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made his return to Marseille this Wednesday. While waiting for his official signing, a former club member has sought to reassure Marseille supporters.

Nicolas Girard, who was part of Jean-Louis Gasset's staff at OM between February and May 2024, had the chance to get to know Aubameyang during his first spell on the Canebière. Now a fitness coach at Al-Ittihad, Girard has continued to observe the Gabonese international closely over the past season. "He was extremely, extremely, extremely efficient. He joined a newly promoted First Division club last summer, under the guidance of Michel, the former OM coach," he initially explained.

Nicolas Girard went on: "I feel like the older he gets, the better he becomes, and the more prolific he is as a striker. Inside the box, he's become absolutely clinical—even though he already was with OM (he scored 17 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League matches). And he still has that leadership quality, just like in Marseille; he carried his team, which had a very strong league campaign, finishing fourth."

The coach then revealed a genuine bond between Aubameyang and OM: "It's a club he truly loves. When he left, it was obviously because of Al-Qadsiah's huge financial offer, but I also think he was a bit concerned about the instability in Marseille. I feel like things are more stable now—there are other experienced top players in the squad, and a coach (Roberto De Zerbi) is entering his second season. And it's a club that really suits him."

And to conclude, he said: "He's an athlete, there's no doubt about it. He pays a lot of attention to his lifestyle and is still in peak physical condition. In training, he lifts everyone around him, bringing the whole group up with him (...) The real question will be managing the fixture congestion, because playing every three days is not the same at 36 as it is at 20."