Barcelona defender faced serious backlash after an error in semi-final second leg versus Inter Milan
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that the club have offered necessary support to embattled defender Ronald Araujo, following the widespread blame he received for Barcelona’s loss against Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Barcelona’s derby match against RCD Espanyol, Flick publicly defended Araujo and affirmed that the team had had positive communication with him on the matter.
“I don’t like what happened with Ronald in Milan,” said Flick. “I always protect my players. We all make mistakes. We all did in that game.
“Life is like that. We all make mistakes, but I think it’s also about respect. We have to protect him. It’s fine. We talk about these things.
“All of us who work in this field have been in situations like this, you have to handle it well. You have to know how to handle it and you have to protect him.”
The Uruguay international was condemned for marking Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi on the wrong side, allowing the defender to equalise for the home side on the 93rd minute and force extra time. Inter went on to win the game and deny Barcelona their first Champions League final in 10 years.
After Araujo was questioned for a lack of conviction by the media, the matter was escalated further when fans on social media severely harassed him. Reports from the training ground, however, were that the Barcelona team have engaged in several group activities to lift morale, with Flick playing a key part in protecting the players.
Barcelona face local rivals Espanyol on Wednesday, in a game that could see Barcelona officially seal their 28th La Liga title.
