Barcelona star given 'indefinite' leave after red card

(NLDO) - Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo has been ruled out indefinitely after a poor performance in the Champions League match against Chelsea.

The reason why Ronald Araujo cannot play in the next few weeks, even months at Barcelona is actually due to the psychological problems that the Uruguayan midfielder is facing. Coach Hansi Flick himself admitted that his player had been facing difficulties before the match with Chelsea.

Ronald Araujo is a solid support in Barcelona's defense

According to information published by the Spanish press, Barca's Board of Directors decided to create conditions for Araujo to temporarily leave the field to solve problems related to mental health - a factor that is assessed to have directly affected the 26-year-old player's performance since the beginning of the season.

Araujo has made 15 appearances for the Catalan club in all competitions to date, his most recent appearance ending in a disappointing first-half performance when he received a second yellow card for a deliberate foul on Chelsea's Marc Cucurella.

Deliberate foul on Marc Cucurella

Initially, Barcelona announced that Araujo was absent from the La Liga win over Alaves last weekend due to a stomach problem. However, coach Hansi Flick confirmed that the real reason was related to the private matters that the center-back was facing. Araujo had long felt mentally unwell, leading to a prolonged bad psychological state.

Speaking before the big match with Atletico Madrid in round 15 of La Liga in the early morning of December 3, the German strategist said: "Ronald is currently not ready to play.

This is a personal matter. Please respect Araujo's privacy without asking too many questions."

Araujo received a red card and left the field.

Flick's comments came shortly after a sympathetic statement from club president Joan Laporta, who insisted that Barcelona's board had always stood by Araujo. "He has been heavily criticised and I think it's unfair. Araujo has always given his all, he's our captain, but now he has to go through a difficult period because he's a very sensitive, emotional person," Laporta said at an event in Andorra.

He continued to emphasize his absolute support: "Araujo is going through a difficult time. I want to say that the whole team is with him. At Barcelona, ​​everyone wins and loses together, no individual is responsible for every result."

Araujo did not play in the match against Alaves last weekend and is out indefinitely.

Araujo, who joined Barcelona from Boston River in 2018, has made 190 senior appearances. Ahead of this week's clash with Atletico Madrid, Barcelona are top of La Liga, one point ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid and three points ahead of Atletico Madrid in fourth place.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/sao-barcelona-duoc-cho-nghi-vo-thoi-han-sau-khi-nhan-the-do-196251202093111688.htm