I was in Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ with £169m worth of exiled stars, we were laughing every day… it was a mess

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG recalls laughing with the rest of Chelsea’s exiled “bomb squad” stars.

The forward had been frozen out of the picture by April 2023 and left to train away from the first team.

But he was not alone.

Hakim Ziyech, Denis Zakaria, Kalidou Koulibaly and Romelu Lukaku all joined Aubameyang with £170million worth of talent on the sidelines.

But Aubameyang told The Athletic: “They did a mess. It didn’t even look like a football dressing room, it was more like rugby.

“Hakim Ziyech, Denis Zakaria, Kalidou Koulibaly, Romelu Lukaku… It was good I wasn’t alone. We were laughing every day, so it was okay.”

Aubameyang had signed in September 2022 from Barcelona – where he spent just seven months – to reunite with manager Thomas Tuchel.

The two had worked together at Borussia Dortmund – winning the German cup together in 2017.

But disaster struck when Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea just a week after Aubameyang joined following 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

The player revealed: “I remember that day because I didn’t recognise him. It was not the guy I knew a few years ago.

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“We had a close relationship. He was the only guy who really understood me in Dortmund.

“At Chelsea, it was like something was wrong. I felt he was not enjoying his time.

“We lost and he was p**sed off. Usually, he would go crazy but he came to the dressing room and then left.

“I was like, ‘This is not the guy I know. Very strange’. The next day, he was sacked.”

Aubameyang admitted he only left Barcelona after armed robbers broke into his home in August 2022.

And he had joined Chelsea – as a former Arsenal captain – just to work under Tuchel again.

But Graham Potter took over at Stamford Bridge and Aubameyang was limited to game time – even being omitted from the Champions League squad.

Aubameyang revealed: “That is when I started to say, ‘OK, this is very disrespectful’. They tried to send me on loan to America. I said: ‘No chance’.

“I felt p***ed off. From that point, I said, ‘The season is done for me already’.

“I just went to training to maintain fitness; I knew I was not going to play.”

Hakim Ziyech, Denis Zakaria, Kalidou Koulibaly, Romelu Lukaku… It was good I wasn’t alone. We were laughing every day, so it was okay

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on being frozen out of Chelsea

Potter was then sacked by April – following just seven months in charge at Chelsea – with Frank Lampard coming in as interim boss.

And Aubameyang claimed Lampard initially wanted to recall the Gabon international – before being overruled by higher-ups.

He said: “(Lampard) told me, ‘OK, I need you. I want to know how you feel, if you are ready to play again’. “I was like, ‘Yes. I’m waiting for this’.

“Close to the end of the season, he spoke to me again and said, ‘What are your feelings? I’m sorry, Auba. I can’t really help you’.

“I understood it’s not coming from him but upstairs.”

Aubameyang later signed for Marseille after leaving Chelsea and scored 30 goals in 51 games last season – missing just one game.

But in July the 35-year-old signed for Al-Qadsiah to become the latest high-profile name in the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Qadsiah are on a six-game winning streak secured third spot in the SPL heading into its winter break.

They are below only Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad and Neymar’s Al Hilal, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr fourth.

Aubameyang added: “They want to be the best and I can help them grow.”