Following the Panthers' debacle at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the announcement of his exclusion from the squad, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has broken his silence. The Gabonese captain, at the center of a heated controversy, briefly expressed his bitterness on social media before refocusing on his current situation with Olympique de Marseille.

"Deeper problems"

It was via a temporary post on his X account (formerly Twitter) that the Marseille striker responded to his sanction. Although he quickly deleted his message, his words nonetheless provoked a reaction:

"I think the problems facing the Gabonese team are much deeper than the small person that I am."

As a reminder, this sanction follows the player's abrupt departure before the final group match against Ivory Coast. Having arrived in Morocco injured, Aubameyang chose to return to Marseille to treat a potential relapse, a decision made when Gabon's elimination was already mathematically confirmed.

A collective shipwreck and radical sanctions

Deprived of their leader, the Gabonese ended their tournament on a bitter note. Despite a 2-0 advantage against the Ivorians, the Panthers ultimately lost 3-2 , exiting the competition with zero points.

This fiasco caused a real earthquake at the highest levels of government:

1. Accounting summary: 0 points taken in the group stage.
2. Political consequence: The government recently announced the dissolution of the national team .
3. Individual sanction: Aubameyang is officially banned from the national team.

De Zerbi steps up to defend his striker

Far from the turmoil in Gabon, the striker can count on the unwavering support of Olympique de Marseille. In a press conference before the match against Nantes (scheduled for January 4, 2026), his coach Roberto De Zerbi wanted to clarify the situation:

"He's at 100%, he could play on Sunday. The criticism is coming from Gabon; we've never criticized him. He's an exceptional player and an impeccable person."

The Italian coach specified that the club had even sent a physiotherapist to Gabon to assist the player's recovery, while refusing to interfere in the conflict between Aubameyang and his federation.