Ronald Araujo offered a blunt response to Barcelona team-mate Ilkay Gundogan‘s comments that his red card had ‘killed the game’ against Paris Saint-Germain which saw Xavi Hernandez’s side knocked out of the Champions League.
The Catalan hosts were leading 3-2 on aggregate before scoring in the 12th minute to give them an important cushion, but momentum began to shift when the Uruguay international was sent off for fouling Bradley Barcola.
Down to 10 men, the Blaugrana were unable to stem the tide of goals from Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Kylian Mbappe to see them fail to win a spot in the competition’s semi-finals.
Gundogan had damning criticism for his team-mates after the final whistle as he lamented the side having ‘given the game away’ after the sending off, with the former Manchester City captain also calling them out for allowing Vitinha to claim PSG’s second.
Speculation has abounded that Gundogan’s comments have fostered a rift in the dressing room, and in remarks on Thursday, Araujo’s blunt response to his team-mate’s assessement appeared to confirm that the pair were yet to make up.
I prefer to keep to myself what I think about Gundogan’s statements,’ Araujo told press at a Barca Foundation charity event. ‘I have codes and values that must be respected’.
When questioned further as to whether his team-mate lacked those codes and values, he said: ‘I’ve already responded to that question.’
When asked if he felt responsible for receiving the red card, Araujo disagreed.
‘Responsible, responsible, no,’ he added. ‘Obviously it conditions the game because we were left with ten, (but) then there are many things about the game itself.
Gundogan had previously called out his team-mates after they were defeated in October’s Clasico by Real Madrid, having been incensed by their apparent disinterest in the loss.
At the time, he received a backlash for his comments, but in the months since, a number of team-mates are believed to be in agreement with the midfielder.
While Gundogan did not mention other players by name on Tuesday evening, it is thought that the Germany international held Robert Lewandowski at fault for allowing Vitinha to score.
‘I mean, it isn’t anything we haven’t trained to be honest. The closest man to the player, to the ball, has to step out. We were three with three and Vitinha was the fourth man.
‘Someone has to step out but no one did, or did too late, it was a good shot and the second goal. Again, it was not necessary at all but it’s too late right now.’
Gundogan’s wife Sara doubled down on his comments, sharing a post in support of her husband on Instagram which claimed that he was displaying his ‘Treble winning mentality’.
‘This man is a working hard guy and his football opinions are about improving and he is giving everything to this team,’ Sara captioned her Instagram Story.
‘His mentality is a treble mentality’.
Barcelona have scant time to lick their wounds before they are back in action in LaLiga, a fact that Araujo acknowledged on Thursday.
The side are eight points off league leaders Real Madrid, but focus will shift fully to the league with no other honours still in play.
‘We are very sorry,’ Araujo said of the defeat to the Ligue 1 serial champions. ‘Obviously, we are all sad, the children, the families. But this is football, there is always revenge.
‘We are going to try again next season. I am convinced that this generation is going to win the Champions League.
‘(This season) we have mathematical options (in the league) and we have to fight until the end. If we win on Sunday, we will cut points and fight for LaLiga, which is the tournament we have left.
‘We have a chance at revenge. Madrid is our biggest rival and we have to change our mentality. We will give everything on Sunday.’
