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Former Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's father, Pierre-Francois Aubameyang, recently said that his son finally has his smile back after a difficult period for the 34-year-old.
The Gabonese striker recently secured a move to Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille, after being allowed to leave Chelsea as a free agent.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with L'Équipe, Pierre-Francois Aubameyang said that his son endured a "nightmare year" prior to his move to Marseille.
The 34-year-old striker was a victim of a robbery attack in Spain during his time at Barcelona, where he suffered a broken jaw while trying to protect his family.
Aubameyang then secured a return to the Premier League last summer, joining Chelsea in a €12 million move. However, his role at the club was immediately thrown into jeopardy following the dismissal of former Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Although he started the first few games under new manager Graham Potter, Aubameyang gradually fell behind in the pecking order at the club. He struggled for game time during the majority of his spell in west London.
However, following the appointment of Frank Lampard as interim manager towards the end of last season, Aubameyang featured regularly for the Blues again.
Aubameyang's father also mentioned his own health issues, which he felt had a negative impact on his son's mental health. Speaking to L'Équipe about his son's spell at Chelsea, Pierre-Francois said:
"His jaw was broken by robbers at his home in Barcelona while trying to protect his wife and children. At Chelsea, he played with a mask at the start. It could only be a nightmare year. Now it’s over. He has a smile. He knows that I’m seeing the light again because I can walk and run since my last operation. And he’s signing for OM,” he said.
“It is a big relief after the nightmare year that he experienced. There was contact with Saudi Arabia, but when OM come forward… who hasn’t dreamed of playing for this club? Especially in Africa. I keep receiving messages from back home,” he said.
How did Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang perform during his time at Chelsea?
The Gabonese striker endured a difficult 2022-23 campaign upon his return to the Premier League.
Aubameyang, who wore the club's number 9 shirt, was immediately saddled with the responsibility of leading the Blues' attack. He bagged three goals in the first few months of his Chelsea spell, with two of those goals coming in the UEFA Champions League group stages.
The 34-year-old striker, however, slowly become surplus to requirements at Chelsea and found game time increasingly difficult to come by. He was limited to just 968 minutes of action for the Blues across all competitions.
Aubameyang ended the season with three goals and one assist for the Blues. He left the club as a free agent this summer to sign for French side Marseille on a three-year deal.
