Zorc: Aubameyang chose wrong words in Watzke row

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang chose the wrong tone and words in his row with Hans-Joachim Watzke, says Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc.

After Watzke claimed money was the reason Aubameyang left BVB to join Arsenal in January 2018, the striker hit out at the Dortmund chief executive and called him a “clown” in a post on Twitter.

Watzke opted not to comment on the issue at a news conference on Friday but Zorc criticised the Gabon international.

“My feeling is that Auba took the wrong tone here and had the wrong choice of words,” Zorc told reporters.

“Hans-Joachim Watzke did not say anything bad and did not mean anything bad.

“In the time Auba was with us, during four-and-a-half years, we have always stood behind him even in difficult situations.

“In that sense, I cannot understand now why he’s had such a strong and exaggerated reaction.”

Aubameyang departed Dortmund after four-and-a-half years to join the Gunners for a fee in the region of £56million (€63m).

He has since scored 39 times in the Premier League, though Arsenal missed out on Champions League qualification in their first season under Unai Emery.