Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to contain his emotions after Marseille were knocked out of the Europa League by Atalanta.
The Ligue 1 side’s dreams of reaching a second Europa League final in six years was halted in emphatic fashion by the Italians who registered a 3-0 victory on Thursday evening.
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Following a 1-1 draw in France last week, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men once again showed their superiority in the competition having already put Liverpool to the sword in the previous round.
Aubameyang and Co could do nothing to stop ex-Everton and Leicester star Ademola Lookman opening the scoring, before Matteo Ruggeri and El Bilal Toure finished off the French giants.
However, Marseille’s exit was all too much for ex-Arsenal skipper Aubameyang, who burst into floods of tears at the final whistle.
As television cameras panned in on the 34-year-old, he attempted to keep his composure, but the disappointment appeared to be too much.
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Aubameyang holds the record as the Europa League’s all-time highest goalscorer with 34 goals and led the way in this season’s competition with ten strikes for Marseille.
His goal-return is yet to be rewarded with European glory, having lost the final in 2019 when Chelsea swept aside Arsenal 4-1 in Baku.
After a slow start to the season which saw him become the target of the club’s fans, Aubameyang has gone on to register a respectable 27 goals across all competitions.
But his efforts might now be enough to secure European football again next term with Marseille languishing ninth in Ligue 1 and facing an uphill battle to secure a required sixth-placed finish.
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Meanwhile, Atalanta continue to impress this season and have given themselves multiple opportunities to qualify for the Champions League.
Atalanta currently occupy the final Champions League qualification place in Serie A.
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But a victory in the Europa League final later this month will guarantee safe passage into European football’s premier competitions.
The Italians will play newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the final in Dublin on May 22.