In a surprising and dramatic development ahead of the highly anticipated and potentially title-deciding El Clásico match, several senior players within the FC Barcelona squad have reportedly approached head coach Hansi Flick with a request to leave Ronald Araujo out of the starting lineup. This request follows closely on the heels of the team’s painful and disappointing exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Inter Milan—a match in which Araujo was widely criticized for making crucial defensive errors that directly contributed to Inter scoring their third and fourth goals.
According to a report by El Nacional, this situation has caused noticeable division within the Barcelona locker room. Although the initial tension among players has reportedly eased, there are still lingering concerns about Araujo’s current psychological state and whether he is mentally prepared to perform under the immense pressure of such an important fixture. Despite his reputation as one of the club’s most reliable and talented defenders, some of his teammates are reportedly worried that the emotional toll of the recent defeat may have left him too unsettled to compete effectively in a match of such magnitude against their arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
As the fate of this season’s La Liga title may very well be determined by the outcome of this weekend’s clash, Flick now faces a difficult decision: should he demonstrate faith in Araujo’s ability to recover quickly and perform at his best, or should he respect the concerns voiced by the squad’s veterans and prioritize the emotional stability and overall cohesion of the team?
