Tuesday, Ronald Araujo had a bad evening. After having played a good game at the Parc des Princes last week, the Uruguayan completely missed the meeting against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening. Starting in the 4-3-3 set up by Xavi, he started rather well, showing himself to be very aggressive against the Ile-de-France attackers. Perhaps a little too much since he committed a big foul on Bradley Barcola at the edge of the area. Result: he was sent off by the referee and left his team ten against eleven while leading 1 to 0. The rest, we know it. Paris scored 4 goals and qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League.
A terrible disappointment for Araujo, who was then singled out by his teammate Ilkay Gündogan. “I am disappointed, very disappointed. It was in our hands and we gave it to PSG. We gave it to them in the simplest way. Araujo? It’s difficult to say… But in these crucial moments, you have to be very sure when you intervene, when you go for the ball, I don’t know if he touches the ball or not…” An unpacking in the public square which was not to the taste of several Catalan players, including Sergi Roberto and Jules Koundé, who reacted on social networks. For her part, Sarah Gündogan, the German’s wife, defended the midfielder on Instagram.
A departure this summer?
Discreet since the elimination, Araujo finally came out of silence yesterday to discuss this controversy. “I prefer to keep what I think to myself. I have codes and values that must be respected.” A dry response which doesn’t really help things. But Mundo Deportivo explains that “Gundo” spoke in front of the group to indicate that his goal was not to criticize or hurt anyone. The Catalan media adds that he has not yet explained himself to the Uruguayan but is ready to do so if necessary. At the center of the debates since Tuesday’s match, the case of the Uruguayan defender is also discussed internally according to Sport. Thus, the Spanish media explains that his future divides at Barça.
President Joan Laporta wants to continue moving forward with the player, whose priority is obviously to stay in Catalonia where his contract runs until June 2026. But in the event of an extension, the Culés will have to put their hands in their pockets and increase significantly His salary. Not everyone among the Blaugrana agrees. Sport indicates that several executives are ready to open the door and sell it this summer. If an offer reaches or exceeds 80 million euros, they want to say yes. The Premier League and Bayern Munich, which has been following it for months, are the FCB’s target. Besides, Esports3 indicates that Araujo representatives are negotiating with the Bavarians. The Araujo case will still pose problems for Barça, which is totally divided over its future.
