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Gündogan’s Farewell: Public Criticism of Araujo a Reason?
One reason for Gündogan’s possible escape from Barça could be an incident from last season, according to a report by the newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
In the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Barcelona was eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain after a 3:2 victory in the first leg, suffering a 1:4 defeat in the second leg. Ronald Araujo received a red card in the 29th minute for a last-ditch tackle and was publicly criticized by the German.
“I am disappointed, very disappointed. We had it in our hands and gifted it to PSG in the easiest way. In such decisive moments, you have to be sure that you get the ball. If you are not, you have to stay away. I would prefer to concede a goal there or give the striker the one-on-one. When a player has to go down so early, it kills your game,” Gündogan said.
This approach angered not only Araujo but also other parts of the team. Gündogan even had to explain himself internally afterward.