Araujo talks Barcelona, Flick, captaincy, future, injury recovery – ‘I’m going to come back like a bull’

It has been over three months since Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo suffered an injury while away with the Uruguayan national team.

After spending a couple of months in Uruguay, he returned to Barcelona last month and has been working hard on his rehabilitation from the injury setback.

Earlier today, the defensive mainstay spoke to Barça One in an extensive interview, during which he touched upon his injury, recovery, and ambitions, as well as completing five years in the first team.

On his recovery

Reports suggest that Araujo could be back in action by the end of November and while the defender did not provide a specific timeline, he vowed to ‘come back like a bull’.

“I’m progressing very well and that makes me happy. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve learned a lot, both physically and mentally,” said Araujo.

The recovery is going well. I’m very happy, the club is surprised by how I’m doing. I’m going to come back like a bull,” he further remarked.

On his time at Barcelona

Araujo has now completed five years as part of the Barcelona first team, having made his debut in October 2019 under Ernesto Valverde.

Reflecting on his career, the 25-year-old joked that he ought to have scored more goals, but insisted he is very happy and wants to spend more years at the club.

“I think I should have scored more goals (laughs), but I’m happy, I think it’s been a great five years,” said Araujo.

“The truth is that it’s a dream to be able to be at this club and to have been here for five years. I hope that many more will come,” he added.

On being asked to name his three most memorable moments as a Barcelona player, Araujo remarked: “I would choose my debut, my first goal and the third one I would choose when we won the league at Espanyol’s stadium.”

Talking about the success he has achieved in his time at Barcelona and how it came about, the 25-year-old said:

“I consider myself a great professional, I work very hard, those are the keys. I always try to do my best, if sometimes things don’t work out, I get up and try again, and if something doesn’t work out, I try again. That’s what got me to where I am today.”

On his ‘firsts’ at Barcelona

Araujo made his first appearance for Barça under Ernesto Valverde on October 6, 2019 against Celta Vigo at Camp Nou. Recalling his debut, he said:

“Making my debut for Barça was a unique moment. Me coming from a village, it was a tremendous moment. With Messi, with Suárez, full of stars that I watched on TV.”

However, Araujo only lasted 14 minutes on the pitch on his debut as he came on in the 73rd minute and was sent off in the 87th.

“It was a bit of an accident but nothing happened, I got back up again. And today I’ve been here for five years,” he stated.

“You learn a lot, because you have more responsibilities, but it was a nice moment. It all happened very quickly, like everything in my career. But I enjoyed it a lot.”

Discussing his first goal for the Blaugrana, which came against Valencia in La Liga in 2020, Araujo said:

“It was tremendous, a game against Valencia, it was 2-1, I got a rebound and the ball came to me and I hit it, I ran out and hugged Leo.

“We had lost the Super Cup a few months earlier and winning the Copa del Rey was very nice. When you win here you really enjoy it.”

Reminiscing his first-ever El Clasico goal, which came at the Santiago Bernabeu, Araujo added: “It was a spectacular game from the team. It was a great game, to beat our opponents the way we won, and I scored a goal.

“It was my first game at right-back and luckily everything went well. For defenders, all goals are special, but against the biggest rival, even more so.”

On his first La Liga title, which happened under Xavi Hernandez in 2022/23, Araujo said: “It was spectacular, we had not won La Liga for many years.

“It was very important to win the league by keeping a clean sheet. It was a very nice thing to do and to enjoy it on the road.”

Objectives and the new project under Flick

Explaining what it means to play for Barcelona, Araujo insisted that the target is always to win titles and trophies.

“We play for a club that is obliged to win titles. When you don’t win titles, the season is bad. We are Barça and we are obliged to win titles,” he said.

“It’s true that it’s a new project with a lot of young players, it was a learning season, we learnt from the hard moments of last season.”

After nine years without winning the Champions League Araujo does not hide that the team’s obsession is to lift that title again.

“We all yearn to win the Champions League, it’s the biggest objective we have and it’s the unfinished business. It’s also the title that remains for me and I’m going to give everything to be able to lift it,” he acknowledged.

One of the five club captains for Barcelona this season, Araujo gave an insight into what it meant for him personally, saying:

“For me, being captain of Barça is a source of pride. I feel privileged for it. I know the responsibility that comes with it, but I feel very prepared for it.

“It comes very naturally to me, I think it’s part of my characteristics to be a bit of a leader, I try to be aware of everything, that everyone is well, I worry about where they live and who they live with, if everything is all right.”

Continuing, he added: “It’s not just about being aware on the pitch, but also off it, that the group is well. It all comes very naturally to me because of the way I am.”

Touching on the new project under the new management of Hansi Flick, Araujo stated: “I didn’t have time to share the pitch with them, but I’m enjoying the team, it’s very good.

“It’s important to start well for a league title, which is long. I enjoy the team, we know we have to know how to work with humility.”

Giving his views on Flick, he said: “I’ve spoken to him, we have a good feeling and we talk about everything. The challenge would be to win titles this season.”