Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has won the Europa League Best Player award after a string of brilliant performances and clutch moments for Olympique Marseille. The award is a special one for the Gabonese international, given the low points he has reached in his career in the past few years.
The veteran forward hit double figures in the competition and was immense in propelling Marseille into the semi-finals. Many football fans and analysts had written the former Arsenal hero off, after his disappointing time at Barcelona and Chelsea.
Marseille will seek to greatly improve on what was a torrid campaign in the French Ligue un. They finished 10th in the standings, and their fans will hope for an improvement next season. They will be able to support their team by purchasing Marseille tickets from an online resale store.
Aubameyang’s Incredible run in the competition
Highest Goal Scorer
Aubameyang scored quite an impressive 10 goals in the Europa League this season. This incredible number of goals made him the top scorer in the competition. Scoring goals is very crucial in football because it helps the team win matches. Aubameyang’s ability to score so many goals from the beginning of his career to date shows how key and valuable he is to his team, Olympique Marseille.
Hat-Trick Hero vs Ajax
One of the finest moments of Aubameyang’s season was when he scored three goals in a single match, against Ajax. This helped Marseille reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. Scoring a hat-trick in Europe is always an impressive feat, showing that Aubameyang can perform exceptionally well under pressure. At 34, he seems to be finding his scoring boots again, and this is good news for the Marseille fans.
Became the all-time leading scorer in the competition
Aubameyang didn’t just stop at being the top scorer for this season. He also became the all-time top scorer in the Europa League, with a total of 34 goals. This means he has scored more goals in this competition than any other player ever. He broke the previous record held by Radamel Falcao, who had 30 goals. This feat shows Aubameyang’s consistency and talent over many years.
Bouncing Back from disappointing spells at Chelsea and Barca
Before joining Marseille, Aubameyang had a tough time at Chelsea and Barcelona. At some point in his Arsenal career, he saw himself stripped of the captain’s armband and was demoted down the pecking order by a far margin. It seemed like his career was going down the drain.
He wasn’t playing as well as he usually does, and things were not going his way. But instead of giving up, he worked hard and made a fantastic comeback for his career in France. His remarkable bounceback will get Barcelona and Chelsea’s fans scratching their heads as to how they did not get that version of the Gabonese forward.
Best African Player in France
Aubameyang’s excellent performance wasn’t limited to just the Europa League. He was also named the best African player in the French league, winning the Marc-Vivien Foé award. This award is given to the best African player in Ligue 1, the top football league in France. Being recognized as the best African player in the league shows how outstanding Aubameyang has been throughout the 2023/24 Ligue un season. He scored 17 goals in 34 games.
Given his current form, Aubameyang is likely to continue performing well in future competitions. Whether it’s in the French league, the French Cup, or international matches, fans can expect to see more fantastic performances from him.
He was also named in the team of the Season
The 34-year-old Aubameyang was also named in the Europa League Team of the Season. This team is made up of the best players in the competition, and being included in it also underlines his consistency and excellent performances all through the competition. It shows that Aubameyang was truly deserving of the top gong honour. Other players in the team of the season include; Miles Svilar, Gianluca Mancini, Jonathan Tar, Florian Witz, Ademola Lookman, Jeremy Frimpomg, Teun Koopmeneirs etc.
Comparisons to other Superstars of the Competition
While Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is truly deserving of the Best Player award, other players stood out and could have also easily won the award without causing any debate or fuss.
Ademola Lookman
Ademola Lookman, the Atalanta forward also had a great season. He scored a hat-trick in the final and helped his team win the Europa League. Lookman is also a fantastic player, but Aubameyang’s overall performance throughout the tournament, including becoming the top scorer and breaking records, gives him the edge.
Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen is another excellent player who was in the running for the Player of the Season award. Wirtz is young and talented, but Aubameyang’s experience, leadership, and goal-scoring prowess make him a deserving winner.
Invitation back into the Gabon squad for World Cup Qualifiers
Aubameyang has been called back to play for the Gabon national team in the World Cup qualifiers. His recent performances show that he is in great form, and he will be an essential player for his country as they aim to qualify for the World Cup. Gabon will next take on current African Champions Ivory Coast on the 7th of June and will be looking up to Aubameyang for inspiration, especially as ‘underdogs’ in that game.
Conclusion
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang truly deserves the Europa League Player of the Season award. His incredible goal-scoring record and key role in Marseille’s little success make him the standout player of the tournament.
Aubameyang’s journey from tough times at Chelsea and Barcelona to being the best player in the Europa League is an inspiring story of resilience and excellence. Fans of football can look forward to seeing more of his amazing performances in the future, and his achievements this season will hopefully be remembered as the Kickstarter of his golden career.
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