BERLIN – Borussia Dortmund players seem have had enough of the
ongoing saga concerning their striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,
forward Andre Schuerrle has suggested.
Last season's league top scorer Aubameyang missed Friday's 1-1 draw because he was not picked for sporting reasons, a week after being
kept out of the team in a 0-0 draw against Wolfsburg for disciplinary
reasons.
Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc said that Aubameyang will
return into the team if he acts and trains in a professional way but
at the same there is growing speculation that he may leave before the
end of the January transfer window – with England's Arsenal said to
be interested.
Schuerrle said after the draw in Berlin that the issue is affecting
the team.
"Of course it is a big issue within the team," the German
international said. "It creates unrest and head-shacking within the
whole team. It is not so easy to concentrate on football.
"There is only one issue off the pitch. That's why the situation
isn't easy.
Schuerrle said the players have given up trying to influence
Aubameyang in a positive way.
"We did that very often. There were many meetings. We have talked to
him many times. He is a good lad when you talk to him. Everything
seems OK. But no one knows what's going on in his mind," Schuerrle
said.
"The transfer window is open another 12 days, maybe we will have a
bit more peace afterwards."
The Bild paper meanwhile published photos of Aubameyang playing
football with friends indoors at the time of the match, to which
coach Peter Stoeger reacted sarcastically.
"If he had done well in training he would have played here. Maybe he
thought he has to do a little bit more," Stoeger said.