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Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has released a statement apologizing to fans after his red card during the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals second leg against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Tuesday.
Barca won the first leg 3-2 and took an early lead in the second leg through Raphinha (12'), who also scored in the first leg. Araujo, however, was shown a red card in the 29th minute after he brought down Bradley Barcola just outside the box as the last defender.
Araujo's dismissal turned the tie on its head. PSG used the one-man advantage to full effect with Ousmane Dembele (40'), Vitinha (54'), and Kylian Mbappe (61' P, 89') earning a 4-1 away win for the Parisians. As a result, PSG won the tie 6-4 on aggregate.
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Araujo has now released a statement on social media, writing:
"Football that gave me so much joy, is now hitting me hard. I thank all those who're unconditionally by my side, my teammates who left everything on the field, and the fans who believed in this team until the end. We'll try this again. Go Barca, now and forever."
Barcelona, despite being in control in the initial stages of the quarter-final second leg, were beaten easily after Araujo's departure. Having a man less for such a long period, that too in a game of high magnitude against a difficult opposition, was too much for Xavi's side to handle.
Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo's hand gesture explained
Ronald Araujo was spotted making a hand gesture following his red card during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash between Barcelona and PSG.
Araujo was spotted making a gesture by twisting his hand, which fans were unable to understand. However, a report from Mundo Deportivo suggests that the Uruguayan tried to imply that he was robbed.
Araujo reportedly thinks that Barcola made the most of the situation and dived to get him sent off. Despite strong protest from the player, the VAR review didn't overturn the on-field call.
