Following Barcelona’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Inter Milan, Ronald Araujo spoke to the media and appeared to shift partial blame for Inter’s 3-3 equalizer onto teammate Gerard Martin.
*”Gerard was absent during the equalizing goal. He was late to challenge for the ball, and that led to the mistake,”* Araujo stated. *”But these aren’t excuses — we have to lift our heads and keep going.”*
Despite calling out Martin, Araujo also accepted his share of the responsibility for the team’s collapse, especially the third goal. *”I’m usually very strong in duels, and I should have done better on that play,”* he admitted. *”That’s football. You have to stay strong and move forward.”*
Still, the remarks have drawn criticism, as some find it surprising that Araujo would publicly single out a teammate, especially considering his own defensive errors contributed to both the third and fourth goals conceded by Barça after he came on.
In his closing comments, Araujo reflected on the painful loss: *”We are sad. We didn’t do what we needed to in key moments, and that cost us dearly.”*
