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.
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He then took a month off to mentally reset and come back stronger, and only returned to the squad for the final of the Spanish Super Cup close to 40 days later. 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.
Positive feelings surrounding Araujo. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
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His evolution after a month off, after all, is said to be very positive.
The Uruguayan international is not only better on a mental and psychological level but also inching closer towards his best physical version – something that is critical for his aggressive style of defending.
Flick did not call on him even as a substitute against Real Oviedo, but there are good chances that he returns for a first prominent role in the team’s upcoming clash against Elche or Albacete in the coming weeks.
After all, the team need him to be at his best as the season moves closer to its business end, especially with Andreas Christensen likely out until the end of the season.
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