After spending several months at Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took the opportunity to open up about certain episodes in his career.

It remains one of the darker moments of his otherwise illustrious career. Despite his numerous goals, assists, and successes during his time in Europe, Aubameyang experienced a tense and difficult end to his story at Arsenal, a club he represented for nearly four seasons between 2018 and 2022. The separation, marred by disciplinary issues, stemmed in part from the Gabonese international returning late from a trip to visit his ill mother in France.

Although the trip had been approved in advance by the London club, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta did not share the same perspective and didn’t hesitate to voice his dissatisfaction. In a lengthy interview with The Athletic earlier this week, Aubameyang revisited this episode, which soured his relationship with Arsenal.

“It was my mistake. I should have returned the night before, but I came back in the morning. I didn’t mention that I was going to miss the flight because I was worried about my mother’s situation. I went straight to a team meeting, and everything seemed normal. Afterward, he [Arteta] said, ‘Come with me.’ That’s when he started yelling,” he revealed.

“He said I couldn’t do that because I was the captain and that it was unacceptable. He told me I had stabbed him in the back. I don’t know why he said that. I was really upset because it wasn’t true, and he knew why I took the flight. He was aware of the situation and what I was going through that year. I expected support from him, not to be treated like that. When I’m late, I admit it’s my fault—no problem. I’ve always apologized. But in this case, I’ll never apologize. For taking my mother from Laval to London? No,” the Gabonese player added, still visibly resentful and unwilling to let the matter rest.

Months later, another incident accelerated the end of Aubameyang's time with the Gunners. After arriving late to board the team bus heading to face rivals Tottenham, Aubameyang once again drew Arteta’s ire. This time, the coach would not forgive the infraction, even though Aubameyang claimed traffic was to blame.

The final straw came when Arteta confronted him. “When we arrived at the hotel, he called me to his room and told me I wouldn’t play. He was strict—rules are rules. I felt hurt. I had tears in my eyes because I really wanted to play. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. The next day, we had a meeting, and I stood up in front of everyone to apologize. He also came to my house to talk because he didn’t want things to spiral into chaos. I thought, ‘Everything will be fine.’ But from that moment on, things were never the same.”

Indeed, nothing was ever the same between Arsenal and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after that final incident.