Former Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has shared candid insights about his brief, turbulent time at Stamford Bridge, describing the club’s dressing room as chaotic and disjointed during his lone season there.

In an interview with The Athletic, the Gabonese international didn’t hold back, saying: “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 OK.”

Signed during the early days of the Todd Boehly era, Aubameyang joined a Chelsea side in transition, grappling with an overinflated squad after a whirlwind spree of new arrivals. His reflections highlight the confusion and lack of cohesion that plagued the Blues at the time.

Aubameyang admitted that his connection with Chelsea never reached the same level as it did with Arsenal, saying: “I never had that connection. No connections at all. The fans wanted the Auba they saw with Arsenal. At the time, I was not ready for that and didn’t get the opportunity. I was not ready, as well, because of what happened in Barcelona.”

Reflecting on the season, he described it as a chaotic chapter in his career: “It was a chaotic year, but it was good for me because I needed a break and, at the same time, they didn’t want to play me.”

While Chelsea fans have already voiced their frustrations over that turbulent period, they might find some solace in knowing that Enzo Maresca seems to have steadied the ship and is working to rebuild the club’s identity.