İlkay Gündoğan critical of Barcelona teammate after UCL exit | OneFootball

Barcelona star İlkay Gündoğan was not shy in making public his grievances with the actions of a fellow member of Xavi’s squad, on the back of the club’s exit from the Champions League on Tuesday.

Barca, of course, are fresh off a night to forget on the continent, which saw a 4-1 rout at the hands of French champions Paris Saint-Germain bring to an end their European adventure for the season.

A whole host of factors proved central to as much, but none more so than the red card shown to Blaugrana stalwart Ronald Araújo.

With his side in possession of a one-goal advantage, and 4-2 lead on aggregate, Uruguayan international Araújo was given his marching orders inside the half-hour mark last night.

This came owing to a last-man challenge on PSG wide-man Bradley Barcola.

Post-match, Xavi was one to make clear his bemusement with the decision, accusing referee Istvan Kovacs of ‘ruining’ the tie.

Another high-profile member of the Blaugrana camp, however, has been less forgiving of Araújo’s actions.

Speaking to the media in the aftermath of his side’s heavy defeat, the aforementioned İlkay Gündoğan was asked for his take on his teammate’s dismissal.

And the German international, blunt as ever, went on call into question Araújo’s decision-making in taking down Barcola:

“If he fouled him I guess it’s a red card. I haven’t seen the replay.

“But in these kind of crucial moments, you need to be sure to get the ball and if you can’t get it — again, I’m not sure if he got the ball or not — you have to stay away.

“I (would) prefer to concede the goal there or give the striker a one-on-one: give him the opportunity, let our goalkeeper save us or even concede a goal, because to be one man down with a red card so early in the game, it kills you.”

Conor Laird | GSFN