"Aubameyang's granddad would become a Barca fan to see Auba triumph"

Aubameyang used to try his luck in Spanish football. The striker, now formerly of Arsenal, has Spanish roots because of his mother, although the Barca attacker was born in France. 

Margarita, his mother, was born in El Barraco in Avila, just over 100km from Madrid. There she spent the first few years of his life before moving to Laval (France). 

On French soil is where Margarita grew up and met Pierre-Francois Aubame-Eyang. They gave birth to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The former Arsenal and Dortmund player has always had his maternal roots present, and he always had a very close relationship with his grandparents. That is how he knows how to speak Spanish. 

'Marca' went to El Barraco and spoke to the mayor and Margarita's cousin after Aubameyang signed for Barcelona. 

"We're happy to have him closer. As he's playing for Barcelona, I hope he comes more and he remembers El Barraco," Cecilia said. 

Aubameyang's granddad was a Real Madrid supporter and the Gabonese even promised him he would one day play for Real Madrid. However, fate has ended up taking him to their biggest rivals. 

"I'd be very proud to see him play for Barcelona. I'm sure he would change in order to see his grandson triumph," Cecilia said again. 

In El Barraco, people are very excited about having a player like Aubameyang close by because he has always shown interest in the town. 

"If he triumphs, El Barraco does as well. We're very happy. He came when he was small with his family and he was very close to his granddad Emiliano. When he came, he asked us for the sports centre to train and he was playing with kids from the town. People had an extraordinary few days," mayor Jose María Manso told 'Marca'.