R. Araujo: 'A multitude of factors contributed to my difficult period'

2026-02-11 22:09 © AFP

Barcelona club defender Ronald Araujo commented on his emotional state after the loss to London’s Chelsea team and how he dealt with it:

"A lot of things came together. I didn’t feel well for a while. I had anxiety for 18 months and it turned into depression.

You try to be strong, maybe because of your roots, where you come from, you move forward, but I didn’t feel good.”

"It wasn’t just related to sports; it was all connected to family and personal levels.

At that time, I didn’t feel like myself, and that red card episode in the Champions League made me say something like, ‘Something is going on. I need to ask for help.’”

"I’m a person who usually keeps everything inside, but you have to understand there are professionals who can help you.

They can advise you on how to manage certain situations. I had to ask for help and explain what I had gone through to recover.”

Ronald Araujo returned to the field on January 11 after a tougher period.

Barcelona is currently in first place in the Spanish championship.