Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (36) has been removed from Olympique Marseille’s squad for their upcoming Ligue 1 match against Le Havre following a bizarre prank involving a fire extinguisher, according to a report from L’Équipe.
It remains unclear whether the incident was intended as a joke or something more malicious. However, the club’s management decided to suspend the forward for at least one game.
On Thursday evening, a group of ten players reportedly engaged in “boisterous antics” at the training center, where the squad was staying during a mid-week training camp. Aubameyang is believed to have been the ringleader, with the most excessive behavior.
According to the report, Aubameyang caused “chaotic fun” in several rooms, likely without malicious intent. But Bouabdellah “Bob” Tahri, a team manager at OM, took the striker’s actions very seriously. Tahri, a former track and field athlete, oversees the players’ curfew. Aubameyang allegedly entered Tahri’s room with a fire extinguisher and sprayed the official, his bed, and his belongings. Tahri later reported the incident to the club’s leadership.
When interim president Alban Juster and president-elect Stéphane Richard sought to assess the situation on Friday, Aubameyang apologized. The former Borussia Dortmund star explained that he only intended to “stir up a bit of trouble.”
The Gabonese striker has had a relatively modest season at OM but continues to find the net even at 36. He has scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions, including the league, cup, and Champions League. His most prolific season came in 2015/16 with Borussia Dortmund, when he netted 40 goals in all competitions. During four and a half years at Arsenal, he also reached double figures every season except the first half of 2021/22. At Marseille, he scored 30 goals in 2023/24 before spending a year with Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. He returned to Marseille for the 2025/26 season and has a contract until summer 2027.
