"What Ronald Araujo did towards the end of 2025 is not commonly seen in football, but understandable when one imagines the gargantuan pressure players face day in and day out. After a game-changing error against Chelsea, the Uruguayan star came under immense criticism for his constant blunders in the UEFA Champions League and was overwhelmed by the negativity. He then took a month off to mentally reset and come back stronger,"
"He has, however, not yet played a serious part since his return and has just 12 minutes in the last five games. A positive return Barcelona were supportive of Araujo's sabbatical in every way and backed up his need for a mental reset despite the team being in a centre-back crisis. As relayed by SPORT in a recent report, the Catalans can breathe a sigh of relief as the faith they paid in him has seemingly paid off."
Ronald Araujo stepped away for a month after a costly error against Chelsea that provoked intense criticism for recurring Champions League mistakes. He returned to the squad nearly 40 days later for the Spanish Super Cup final but has played only 12 minutes across the last five matches. Barcelona fully supported his sabbatical despite a centre-back crisis, and his recovery has been described as positive. His mental resilience and psychological state have strengthened, while his physical condition is approaching the level needed for his aggressive defending. He could return to a prominent role soon as Andreas Christensen remains sidelined.
Read at Barca Universal
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