Ronald Araujo’s hand gesture after red card during Barcelona vs PSG explained

If one moment turned the tide in Barcelona’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last night, it was the expulsion of Ronald Araujo from the field of play.

The incident in question occurred just before the clock ticked 30 minutes when PSG’s Bradley Barcola was through on goal and ready to challenge Marc-Andre ter Stegen to pull one back for his side.

Clearly left behind and in a compromised position, Ronald Araujo made contact with the young winger and brought him down, earning him a red card for an obvious professional foul.

Araujo makes a clear gesture

Now, Mundo Deportivo brings to light that on his way out, Araujo showed his disappointment towards the decision by the referee by making a gesture with his hand, splaying his fingers and twisting his hand.

Not everyone watching understood the meaning behind the gesture.

But the report clarifies that Araujo’s gesture with his hand was to indicate that he felt ‘robbed’ by the match official’s call to send him off.

Araujo made a gesture with his hand after being sent off. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Araujo clearly felt that Barcola sensed the opportunity and utilised it to intentionally dive and see the defender sent off. VAR review, however, did not overturn the decision, forcing Araujo to walk off the field.

Araujo strongly protested against the on-field referee, Istvan Kovacs, for his decision and insisted that his foul was not worthy of a straight red before eventually walking off, when he made the said gesture.

Unwarranted reaction

While there may be an element of truth to the story of Barcola’s dive, that does not change the fact that the red card for Araujo’s foul would be given nine out of ten times.

After all, his intentional contact with the player clearly interferes with a direct chance on goal and it is difficult to prove otherwise.

Considering that over an hour of play was remaining, the Uruguayan international would have been better off allowing the youngster to try his luck in front of goal – something that Ilkay Gundogan pointed out after the game.

A man down in the Champions League, after all, is a deficit that can simply not be overcome.