With the repercussions of Barcelona’s Champions League exit still lingering, the team has no choice but to focus on Sunday’s anticipated clash with Real Madrid, a crucial moment in determining the fate of La Liga.
A Barcelona victory would bring them closer to the title, as they would need only two more points to secure it with three matches remaining. Even a draw would be an acceptable result, as it would require the Catalan team to collect five points from the remaining nine. A loss, however, would keep the title race wide open.
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According to information from the Spanish newspaper El Nacional, Ronald Araujo is experiencing unprecedented pressure following Barcelona’s Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan. The Uruguayan defender is being subjected to a harsh backlash on social media, including bullying, insults, threats, and relentless mockery from Barcelona fans and football fans in general.
Criticisms have centered on two main points: his questionable contribution to Inter’s equalizer and winning goal, and his post-match comments in the mixed zone, where he ignored his responsibility for the third goal and blamed his teammates for not covering the fourth.
In addition to the angry comments, some circulated videos of Araujo warming up before entering the San Siro stadium, questioning his enthusiasm and physical fitness. Some even compared him to a “grandmother with arthritis,” despite knowing in advance that he would be able to play due to Iñigo’s yellow card.
Despite his efforts to regain composure, doubts still surround Araujo’s participation in the Clásico. The situation has calmed down somewhat, but inside the dressing room, some players are questioning whether the defender is mentally fit to play such a big match.
Some of his teammates believe Araujo is still severely affected psychologically, to the point that they advised coach Hansi Flick not to include him, to avoid any negative impact on the team. The match is crucial, and there’s no room for risk.
However, Flick believes that giving him a few minutes on the pitch could help him overcome this crisis and gradually regain his balance.
