If I promise to do it only once, then maybe you will forgive me while stealing a song’s song line to ask: “How do you solve a problem like Ronald Araujo? “Because whoever thought that Barcelona put his difficulties in sleeping the International Uruguaye after the announcement that the defender had renewed his contract until 2031 must wake up and feel the coffee.
Araújo was not abandoned for the battery 7-1 of the Valence weekend to rest or protect it for the difficult test against Atalanta on Wednesday: it was abandoned for two key reasons.
First, even in front of certain comic decisions by Wojciech szczesny While Barça earned 5-4 in Benfica in the Champions League last week, Araújo was by far the n ° 1 reason of his team with a ridiculous violation. He broke the offside line (badly and repeatedly), his defense passage was either opposed to the risk or easily in a hurry, his choices of position were often downright false, and he marked an idiotic objective. Benfica looked at him as wolves considering sheep: voraciously.
The second reason must be understood in the light of the great European rival speed. (Bayern Munich was last year.) But with Iñigo Martínez Wounded and a series of crucial games to come, the strength of Juve’s intention to move for him galvanized Barça to make sure that he did not insist for an outing.
They were probably right in this logic: very good. But once the club company is completed, team leader Hansi Flick immediately reminded Araújo not to imagine that a renewed contract automatically meant that he occupied what the commercial negotiators call the “electric headquarters”. It was a shot through the bow to say: “We want to keep yourself, you have put the interest of Juve in a better contract and the club’s board moved to electrical speed to keep you, but do not imagine that it means that you are the boss here. Do not think you “re my only option … don’t imagine you can come across!”
It was a good idea of the German coach, a reminder that Flick is not satisfied with the level of play, decision -making or concentration of the central defender.
Araújo comes from a family obsessed with football where the grandmothers and his mother played football organized in Brazil and Uruguay with dedication. He lived and breathed in competition sport as soon as he could walk until today, Barcelona, Bayern and Juventus spending a large part of the last 12 months to argue.
The problem with Araújo is that although he is a real “force” in the arsenal of his club, it is one of these forces “pound” pound “- the kind of adjective which is attached to an asterisk . is even a useful threat to the end of attack on the ground.
But the technique has never been his thing. Neither his first touch nor his ability to under pressure, in the ideology of Barcelona “playing from the back” was positive elements in his screening report.
In the Documentary Fly-On-The-Wall, i-product during the first season of Luis Enrique in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, the Spanish coach shared his tactical preparation for what was going to become the demolition 4-1 of Barcelona of his team in Montjuic in the last district of the Champions League of the season. Luis Enrique said to us: “There is no doubt.” If we press them (Barça), they will give it for a long time. him.”
Then, during the tactical video session before the prematch, he told PSG players: “This gentleman is Araújo. A high -level footballer, without a doubt, but the Barça player with the most problems. Every time The ball goes to him, we must already close his line of passage and then pressing it. “
Inevitably, as you have now guessed, Paris follows the instructions of their coach, Bradley Barcola Araújo press, the defender rejects possession and while PSG breaks out in an immediate counterattack that Barcola is nourished in the ball only for the Uruguayan to make a “last man” fault and is sent. From the leader 4-2 on AGGREGATE, it was the match for Barcelona, and they are duly eliminated from the competition, 4-1 per night and 6-4 on aggregate.
What last week in Lisbon has shown is that things have become even more difficult for Araújo now that Flick is in charge. Their high -risk defensive line, occasionally at high reward and very advanced (on average, their four backs are 50 meters from their own goal line) must be applied impeccably. None of the defenders or the goalkeeper can make a mistake, and the decreased concentration decreases can cost you a goal, a penalty, a red card or, in fact, a calamitous defeat.
A certain sympathy is due to the big and unreserved 25 years because the requests imposed by Flick also frightened the living daylight of the teammates of Araújo (while he was injured) when the new German coach announced for the first time during the club’s American tour last summer last summer. But they all had time to learn, practice and assimilate the huge new challenges. Meanwhile, Araújo suffered a long rehabilitation process and fought on fitness.
It turns out that Araújo is not a guy who can watch, understand and then apply the extremely complicated system without much test and error “at stake”. His mistakes came against Benfica when the poor child seemed perplexed, overwhelmed and fighting to give meaning to chaos around him.
The last time I interviewed Araújo, long before this off -game control system was in Barcelona operating modeHe explained his general perspectives.
“Barcelona has a philosophy very different from everyone,” he said. “Even when I managed to understand, it was as if the ball came to almost 200 km / h!” I tried to control it … I would fail and I would come home, feeling frustrated and thinking: “I do not do” I did not deserve to be here if I am not able to control The ball! But I said to myself “what I have to do is learn!” »»
Araújo has learned, the balance of its importance and is worth it to be tilted in its favor, and temporarily it has even become a special weapon in The classicMan mark Vinícius Júnior Before, in due time, be part of the group of captain with five men from Barcelona.
Currently, while Araújo is drilled on the basics by coaches staff and studies the video bands long in the night, he will have to accept that the film will often choose the Pau Cubarsí-Marínez partnership before him, he will sometimes have to accept the deputy for Jules Koundé At the right back, and he must get used to feeling again as a novice – something that could well be tested on Wednesday at Atalanta, at the Atalanta Champions League.
And with Barcelona strongly committed to signing the signature of Bayer Leverkusen, soon to be sheltered, the semi-center of the right feet Jonathan TahI do not think that anyone may be sure that Araújo may not be transferred to Juventus or Bayern yet for significant costs at the end of this season. In the meantime, he is back in the classroom for Araújo: high issues, a high concentration and a high defensive line. Beware of the expression stressed on his face every time he looks at the touch judge, his arm stuck, let’s hope, in the air, shouting “offside” until now May.
