Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo says he took football break after experiencing anxiety and depression

Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo has revealed that he requested an indefinite leave of absence in early December after a year-and-a-half battle with anxiety that escalated into depression, explaining that the tipping point came after his red card in the 3-0 Champions League defeat at Chelsea on 25 November.

The 26-year-old Uruguay international, who had started every match for Barça until that point, told Mundo Deportivo that he had been “playing with that” burden for months and finally concluded “this was enough” once the final whistle blew at Stamford Bridge.

“When the match finished I felt like everything was falling into me,” Araujo said. “I had been suffering anxiety for a year and a half, and then it turned into depression. I know my value and what I can add to the team, but I was not feeling well and knew something was going on.”

A naturally private figure who admits he usually “keeps everything to himself,” Araujo approached the club to seek professional help, leading to a seven-match hiatus from competitive action. He returned to training at the end of December, rejoined the squad for January’s Supercopa de España final against Real Madrid, and ultimately marked his first start in nearly three months by captaining Barcelona in Tuesday’s Copa del Rey victory over Albacete.

Araujo, who has accumulated 195 appearances for the Catalan giants since arriving from Uruguayan side Boston River in 2018, believes the enforced break was pivotal to his recovery.

“It did me very good and now I feel like a totally different person,” he said. “The worst part is behind me.”

Barcelona return to cup action on Thursday with a quarter-final clash against Atlético Madrid, and Araujo’s restored presence at the heart of defence will be welcomed by a squad that has navigated a turbulent period without one of its leaders.