Trouble at Barcelona? Ronald Araújo responds to İlkay Gündoğan criticism | OneFootball

Barcelona star Ronald Araújo has on Thursday spoken for the first time on the criticism directed at him by teammate İlkay Gündoğan earlier this week.

Midfielder Gündoğan of course caught the headlines late on Tuesday night, on the back of Barcelona’s elimination from the Champions League.

After Araújo’s dismissal inside the opening half hour in Catalunya proved the turning point in the Blaugrana’s tie with Paris Saint-Germain, his midfield teammate was not shy in making his frustrations known.

Questioned on the situation post-match at Montjuïc, Gündoğan responded:

“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.”

Such comments inevitably turned heads in Barcelona, amid debate regarding whether or not it was the right time for the Manchester City man to speak in such blunt terms.

During a media appearance on Thursday, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of precisely as much was put to none other than Ronald Araújo himself.

And the Uruguayan appeared to hint that he was left unimpressed by Gündoğan’s criticism, in explaining:

“I’d rather keep for myself what I really think… I have my own codes and values that I think you need to respect.”

Conor Laird | GSFN