Ronald Araujo speaks out about his red card for Barcelona against Chelsea
“It was clear something was happening to me”
(Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images) | Getty Images Ronald Araujo has given a candid interview and spoken about his mental health issues this season that led to him taking a break from football. The defender opted to take some time out after being sent off against Chelsea in the Champions League in a defeat at Stamford Bridge. Araujo says he realised after walking off the pitch that he needed to ask for help.
“It’s obvious that diving there with a yellow card was crazy. Then I arrived at the dressing room and it was clear to me that something was happening to me, that I had to ask for help. I spoke to my wife and told her,” he told Movistar.
“I knew something wasn’t right, but I tried to continue out of inertia and also out of culture. We are country people and it is difficult to show feelings. It’s hard for you, there’s that barrier.
“You say, ‘There’s something going on and I need to work on it, raise my hand and ask for help. ’ It was very difficult for me to recognize that I needed to seek help from a professional. You go on, on and on, but there was a moment, after the action against Chelsea, when I said: ‘That’s it’.