“He gave me a bit of pep again,” Aubameyang explains how Gattuso got him back to his best

At the time when he challenged Atalanta Bergamo with OM in the semi-final first leg of the Europa League, this Thursday at the Vélodrome (9pm), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang paid tribute to his former coach Gennaro Gattuso, in an interview with The Team. The Gabonese striker explains that the Italian coach is at the beginning of his return to form on the pitch.

Gennaro Gattuso will undoubtedly not be remembered by OM supporters. His five-month stay on the Marseille bench was cut short after a defeat against Brest in February in Ligue 1 (0-1). But despite this failure, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang retained fond memories of the Italian coach. The Gabonese striker, in great form in recent months with Marseille, even explains that the 46-year-old technician allowed him to rediscover his best feelings on the pitch.

“It’s really thanks to the work of Gattuso and his staff, we worked a lot, every week, it was based on rhythm. He said to me: ‘It’s how many years since you trained this rhythm?'”, confides Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, in an interview with L’Equipe, when they face Atlanta Bergamo in the semi-final first leg of the Europa League, this Thursday at the Vélodrome (9pm).

“I started playing with rage”

Although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang does not underestimate the training used in these former clubs, he insists on the work of Gennaro Gattuso and his staff: “Barcelona, ​​we trained well, be careful. But I don’t ( Gattuso and his) staff) can never thank you enough for giving me that pep again, because when you’re physically fit, you perform the movements more easily.”

The current top scorer in the Europa League, with 10 goals in 11 games, has been OM’s star for months now. The Gabonese also explains that the difficult periods at the start of his Marseille adventure shaped him: “I had never experienced such impatience (…) The moment that moved me the most was the day when I was whistled here at home (0-0 against Lille, November 5 in L1).”

This moment marked a turning point for the former Chelsea and Arsenal player: “It was the turning point in my season that I started playing with fury, almost with hatred.” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has so far scored 27 goals and 11 assists in 46 games played in 2023-2024 (all competitions combined).