Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed his sadness at missing out on a potential reunion with Arsenal in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The Gunners scuffed their chances of returning to Europe’s premier club competition when they fell to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the last North London derby of the season. They went on to lose to Newcastle United in the same week which officially saw them miss out on fourth place which would have taken them back to the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
They, however, sealed a return to European football after a one-season absence as the first team to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. There have been mixed reactions about the season by the club’s fans, but former Arsenal striker Aubameyang is sad for Arsenal for a different reason entirely.
In January, the Gabonese striker left the Emirates after falling out with manager Mikel Arteta and being frozen out of the squad for close to two months. Prior to then, the former Borussia Dortmund striker had been poor in front of goal for the Gunners.
After his fallout with Arteta, he joined Barcelona on a free transfer following the termination of his Arsenal contract and went on to end the season as the Catalan club’s joint top goalscorer in all competitions alongside Memphis Depay, bagging 13 goals from 23 total appearances.
As a result of his efforts, Barcelona fought back from the brink of a mid-table finish to second on the log and will play in the Champions League. Arsenal, meanwhile, will miss out on the competition and Aubameyang, whose future at Camp Nou is uncertain, has expressed sadness that he will not get to face them in the competition.
He told Sky Sports: “Really close [to getting in the top four].
“I think they made a lot of improvements and I’m a bit sad because I wanted to catch them in the Champions League. I have a lot of friends over there. But I’m wishing them all the best for next season and obviously, I think it’s going to be a good thing for them to get back to the Europa League as well. Hopefully, they can win it.”
The striker was one of a number of football stars seen at the Monaco Grand Prix when he granted this brief interview to Sky Sports. He, like the others, is currently enjoying their holiday but his agents are busy preparing for next season, as his six-month contract with Barcelona ends in June.
