Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has returned to Spain's La Liga with Deportivo A Coruna, citing unfinished business and a desire to help the historic club climb back to its best. The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker scored 11 goals in half a season at Barcelona, helping them rise from ninth to second, before leaving after just 18 league appearances.
Deportivo are back in La Liga for the first time since their 2018 relegation, and the addition of the Gabonese striker sends a message about their ambitions. "The passion is still there, definitely, otherwise I'd choose another challenge," Aubameyang told Mirror Football. "I had a few offers, but the passion is still there and I still want to challenge myself and think this one is a special challenge to try to bring back the club to its best."
A Career Spanning Two Decades
Now 37, Aubameyang reflects on a career that will soon mark two decades as a professional. "Next year is going to be 20 years since I started my career as a professional and I have to say the truth, I'm feeling quite good. I can still give a lot for the game and still have the passion, I think this will never change," he said.
"As long as my body says I can go, I will go. Obviously, if I feel one day I cannot give my best to play at the best level, I'll say maybe I stop, but for the moment I'm sure that I have some more years to give. This is why I accepted the challenge here, because I know I can really help, I can still score some goals, I can give some assists, I can be effective in the game."
Memories of Barcelona
The 2021/22 season at Barcelona was turbulent, with Ronald Koeman sacked in October and the club at risk of missing Champions League qualification. The appointment of Xavi and mid-season additions of Aubameyang and Ferran Torres helped them recover.
"I was happy to be part of this Barca team, even if at that time they were struggling," Aubameyang added. "We could reach second place. When I arrived, we were ninth and I think this was a big effort from the whole team. I saw some guys saying I'm the hero of Barca, this is funny, but let's say I was happy to be at the club at this moment, I was happy to give some good moments and some good memories for the fans."
Historic Club, Rich African Heritage
Deportivo became just the ninth different team to win La Liga when they claimed the title in 1999/2000. The club also has a rich history of African players, including Cameroon goalkeeper Jacques Songo'o and Moroccan centre-back Noureddine Naybet, both part of that title-winning squad.
"It's always a good thing to be representing Africa all around the world and especially here at this club," Aubameyang said. "Hopefully we can mark our history by giving our best, giving my best, to bring the club back to where it belongs."
He also recognises his role will extend beyond the pitch, mentoring younger players in Depor's squad. "We have a good mix now because we have a lot of young talents and obviously they called me because I can bring my experience, my voice, and I can help on the pitch and off the pitch. This is going to be my role at the club. I'm happy to play this role and hopefully it can work."
