Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recently joined the newly promoted La Liga side Deportivo de A Coruña -Credit:Quality Sport Images, Getty Images Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scores to settle in La Liga. The former Arsenal and Chelsea forward netted 11 goals in half a season at Barcelona, helping them climb from ninth to second place, yet departed after just 18 league games. So when the chance arose to return to Spain's top flight with Deportivo de A Coruña, he wasn't about to turn it down. The Galician club are back in La Liga for the first time since their 2018 relegation, and the signing of the Gabonese striker sends a clear statement of intent. "The passion is still there, definitely, otherwise I'd choose another challenge," Aubameyang told Mirror Football. "I had a few offers, but the passion is still there, and I still want to challenge myself, and I think this one is a special challenge to try to bring back the club to its best.
Kylian Mbappe drops World Cup truth bomb after absurd third-place loss to England Cristiano Ronaldo's mom misses 'intimate' wedding as marriage certificate details ceremony -Credit:Icon Sportswire, Icon Sportswire via Getty Images "Next year is going to be 20 years since I started my career as a professional, and I have to say the truth, I'm feeling quite good. I can still give a lot for the game and still have the passion; I think this will never change. "As long as my body says I can go, I will go. Obviously, if I feel one day I cannot give my best to play at the best level, I'll say maybe I stop, but for the moment I'm sure that I have some more years to give. This is why I accepted the challenge here, because I know I can really help; I can still score some goals, I can give some assists, I can be effective in the game." The 2021/22 campaign proved challenging for Barcelona. Ronald Koeman was dismissed in October, with the Catalan giants facing the possibility of failing to secure UEFA Champions League qualification, but Xavi's arrival and the January acquisitions of Aubameyang and Ferran Torres enabled them to turn things around. "I was happy to be part of this Barça team, even if at that time they were struggling," Aubameyang added. "We could reach second place. When I arrived, we were ninth, and I think this was a big effort from the whole team. "I saw some guys saying I'm the hero of Barça, this is funny, but let's say I was happy to be at the club at this moment, I was happy to give some good moments and some good memories for the fans. To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE "I still have some good messages from the fans and think it was a really nice moment playing in Barça that I will never forget. But now I'm happy to be back; it's definitely a different situation, but an exciting one, and hopefully it's going to be a nice year ahead." Aubameyang, now 37, has two sons with his wife Alysha. Recent seasons have brought significant change to his club career, having represented a different team each year since 2021, though with two separate stints at Marseille. He now carries responsibility as a veteran presence on the field as he seeks to leverage his experience to help teammates adjusting to the demands of La Liga. Depor became only the ninth different club to capture La Liga when they secured the championship in 1999/2000. The 26 years that have followed have witnessed the trophy divided among merely four teams - all previous winners - so that treasured success underscores their standing as one of Spain's storied clubs. Aubameyang harbors no misconceptions about their current position, however. It's expected to take considerable time for them to return to the top tier of the standings, and the immediate objective this campaign is to stay up. "Obviously, I saw Deportivo back in the day in top form, playing [in the] Champions League," he said. "I think everyone likes Deportivo because they had a great time, winning La Liga, playing in the Champions League, so I'm happy the club is back in La Liga, and I will try to give my best. It's a process; we're going to go step by step, but I want to live this history and give my best to leave my mark." -Credit:Quality Sport Images, Getty Images The organization also boasts a distinguished legacy of African talent. Cameroonian shot-stopper Jacques Songo'o and Moroccan defender Noureddine Naybet were members of Depor's championship-winning roster, and Aubameyang now has an opportunity to inscribe his own identity on that legendary list. "It's always a good thing to be representing Africa all around the world and especially here at this club," he said. "Hopefully, we can mark our history by giving our best, giving my best, to bring the club back to where it belongs." At the same time, he understands his responsibilities will extend beyond the field of play. With several younger and less seasoned players in Depor's roster, he has an important part to play in guiding them through the demands of top-level soccer. "We know back in the day the club was playing [in the] Champions League and I think the club is doing the best to be back at the best level," he said. "Obviously, it's a process; we have to do it step by step, but I want to be part of this history. "We have a good mix now because we have a lot of young talents and obviously they called me because I can bring my experience, my voice, and I can help on the pitch and off the pitch. This is going to be my role at the club. I'm happy to play this role and hopefully it can work."