Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opens up on trauma of being robbed at gunpoint in Barcelona when his wife and kids were at home as ex-Arsenal star reveals the heartbreaking comments from his children that still haunt him
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has recounted his psychological trauma after gunmen broke into his Barcelona home and assaulted him in front of his family.
At least four men stormed his house in the seaside town of Castelldefels and stole jewellery, watches, and a white Audi A3 just days before he joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2022.
One assailant pummelled his chin using a glove packed with metal, breaking his jaw, and the violent episode left him with sleepless nights.
Now playing for Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League, the forward says his two kids refuse to return to Barcelona, where they still own the house, out of fear.
He felt ‘lost’ and bottled up mental wounds which still haunt him today, he admits in a harrowing interview with The Athletic.
‘I was always thinking about this. I did so many nights like this: not sleeping at all, just thinking about that s**t. You have some nightmares. I’m a guy who, if I’m not sleeping well, I’m not going to give (a football team) what you expect from me, I’m not going to be at my best… Every time the kids are alone, they are scared,’ the former Arsenal striker said.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed his trauma after armed robbers ransacked his home in Barcelona in 2022
He was at home with his wife, two sons, and other loved ones when at least four men broke in – and threatened them with a gun
Just days before his move from Barcelona to Chelsea, one man broke his jaw using a metal-packed glove
‘I made a mistake not talking to anyone. If I had someone to talk to, a therapist or psychologist, maybe it could have helped. But I didn’t want to do anything. To tell you the truth, I was lost.
‘If I was alone, no problem. I can handle it, as mentally I’ve been prepared for everything in life, thanks to my parents. But when you have a wife and kids, it’s different. After that, the kids told me, “Papa, I don’t want to go to school, I’m scared something is going to happen there.” For a year my little one said, “I cannot sleep alone.” It was a big struggle. You have it always in the mind.’
His eldest son, Curtys, who was 11 at the time, alerted him to the intruders. His sister-in-law, his cousin, and the latter’s boyfriend were also at the property at the time.
After telling some of them to hide, he wanted to confront the intruders with a ‘big bottle’ but feared for their safety after they were taken captive.
‘One had the gun and said to me, “Just go down.” I said, “No, no, no. Tell me what you want.” We talked and he said, “Sit down.” I said, “No.” This is when he started to punch me.
‘I wanted to fight but one guy went down and took my kids and sister-in-law. At that point, I couldn’t do anything. If you do something wrong, something can happen to them. We went through the house and I gave them what they wanted, so we could be okay.’
Security staff hired by Barcelona were supposed to begin work at the property but had been delayed by a lack of outdoor toilets.
A report by RAC1 at the time also stated that Aubameyang was hit with an iron bar and that his wife, Alysha Behague, suffered a blow to the head.
His kids still refuse to return to Barcelona and he endured sleepless nights with trauma
Barca had offered 24-hour security but he reportedly turned it down due to his impending exit
His wife Alysha Behague, who he met over a deacde ago, also suffered a blow to the head
He now plays for Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia and cites ‘safety’ as a reason for moving there
Behague quickly alerted the police but she and Aubemeyang refused to go to hospital as they did not want to further frighten their boys, Curtys (then 11) and Pierre (six).
Aubemeyang and Behague have been together since he played for Saint-Etienne in France in the early 2010s.
The gang of robbers reportedly staked out Aubameyang’s house for weeks while he was away on a pre-season tour with Barcelona in the United States.
They had tried to rob him then but were deterred by an alarm. When Aubameyang was at home, it did not go off. They scaled a garden fence to enter.
ARA also reported that Babanzila Meshak – a young Gabonese footballer who played for Terrassa, a fourth-tier side, and had been living at Aubameyang’s house – was at home during the robbery but unharmed.
Just days later, on September 2, he moved to Chelsea for £10million and took the No 9 shirt, but only stayed for a season.
For the 2023-24 campaign he joined Marseille but over the summer he moved to Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, with ‘safety’ one of his primary motivators for decamping to the Middle East.
He could have stayed in European football, having scored 30 goals in all competitions last season for Marseille, but has taken to Saudi life well, hitting seven strikes in 13 outings there.
Under the tutelage of former Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Michel, Al-Qadsiah are flying in their first season back in the Saudi Pro league, sitting third in the table.
