This evening, FC Barcelona hosts Atlético de Madrid for the advanced clash of the 19th day of La Liga. A match in which Ronald Araujo will not participate. Yesterday, after talking about gastric problems, Hansi Flick changed his version to explain the absence of the Uruguayan defender. “Ronald is not ready to play. This is a private situation and I will not say more. I ask you to respect that, that’s all I can and will say.” Since then, the South American has withdrawn.
An internal conflict
With his agents, Araujo asked Barça not to play anymore, in order to be able to rebuild mentally. Physically, the Blaugrana defender is 100%, but this is not the case from a psychological point of view. Assassinated by the Spanish media after his expulsion against Chelsea, the Barça captain is at rock bottom. No one yet knows how long he will be out, but a man has diagnosed the problem the player is suffering from.
Expert in helping athletes’ mental health, Xesco Espar was interviewed by Sport to learn more about the Uruguayan’s mental problems. “People need to understand the WHO health concept of illness, which includes physical, social and mental capabilities”he confided, before specifying that there is a problem for Araujo at the level “mental and social that we do not see. » And in the defender’s case, it was his blunder at Stamford Bridge that caused internal chaos.
His teammates can help him
“He is in the grip of an internal mental conflict regarding his identity. He is the captain of the team and knows that he has committed an unjustifiable act against the team. His internal dialogue is strongly affected, he wonders if he is really capable of playing for FC Barcelona.explains Espar, who adds that this concern led the player “to a paralysis, to a blockage. (…) He is blocked in the same way that a footballer can have a swollen ankle, anxiety prevents him from seeing the game, he is, as they say in these cases, “biting his nails” and he must resolve his internal conflict to play as he always has.. Absent for an indefinite period, will Ronald Araujo return before the end of 2025? No one can say, but Espar revealed some advice that the Uruguayan will certainly follow to get back on track.
“You must follow an internal protocol, stop asking yourself if you are ready and think positive, do not consider the situation as a criticism, but as a challenge to take on to regain confidence. Get out of this idea that you can’t play at the level of an FC Barcelona footballer because as captain you didn’t do the right thing. (…) Trust is like a table: the more legs it has, the stronger it is. The role of the team is important, he must be congratulated on the field when he does good deeds, micro-victories in training will help him improve his confidence. You don’t just have to work in the office”. It’s up to Araujo’s teammates to play to help him!
