Emergency talks at Barca over Araujo's future
Barcelona has stepped into a delicate phase as tensions mount over the future of Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo, and media noise swells after recent events.
To calm the situation and clarify things, Barça's management held a meeting with Araujo's reps at Barça's training center.
According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Barcelona's training complex hosted a surprising summit as Araujo's agents Crignar and Matsolari arrived to meet Deco, the club's sporting director.
The meeting aimed to analyze the defender's situation amid growing controversy, especially after days of ambiguity and a media buzz following his sending off against Chelsea.
Barcelona maintains a charged atmosphere around Araujo's future, but internal voices from executives stressed full support for the player today.
Despite acknowledging that what happened in London was a misstep, club directors insist it does not alter their assessment of the defender, whom they view as a competitive captain and cornerstone of defense.
The club reiterated that confidence in Araujo remains steadfast, and what happened in Champions League strengthens their commitment to support him in this delicate moment.
Araujo did not attend the training center in days, and coach Hans Flick, at a conference, said there is a special situation and I will not discuss details; please respect his privacy.
Though he did not take part in morning session, Araujo later returned to facilities, spotted by Sport cameras.
The defender could not participate in the Alavés match, and will miss tomorrow's Atletico Madrid confrontation due to not being fully fit yet.
Barcelona's plan now relies on readying Araujo, who trained today in rehabilitation indoors, to play a few minutes at Benito Villamarín against Real Betis if Flick deems it wise for a cautious comeback.
Punchline 1: If uncertainty were a position, Araujo would captain defense and still need a press conference to sign.
Punchline 2: In football, suspense sells tickets; in Barcelona, suspense sells popcorn.
