Paris Saint-Germain might have played a role in the separation between İlkay Gündoğan and FC Barcelona. The two sides matched up in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals last season and it was the French giants who had the comeback in the tie.
The Catalan side were up 1-0 in the second leg (4-2 on aggregate) and seemed to be on their way to advancing to the semifinals. Nonetheless, the turning point in the tie came midway through the first half when Ronald Araújo was sent off following a foul on Bradley Barcola.
Afterward, the Parisians scored four unanswered goals, which allowed PSG to turn the situation around and advance on a 6-4 aggregate score.
Gündoğan spoke to CBS Sports and vented his frustration, highlighting the Araújo foul that led to their elimination from the UEFA Champions League.
“I think in these crucial moments, you need to be sure to get the ball,” Gündoğan said. “If you don’t get it, and I don’t know, again, if [Araújo] touches the ball or not, you have to stay away.
“I prefer, of course, to concede the goal there or maybe give the striker a one-on-one, even though he played the ball quite far, so I don’t even know if he was able to reach the ball. But give him the opportunity, let our goalkeeper maybe save us, or even concede the goal, to go down one man, get a red card, so early in the game, just kills you.”
SPORT reports that the dynamic between Gündogan and the rest of the Barcelona squad changed after his comments about Araujo following the PSG match.
The relationship between Gündogan and the rest of the Barcelona dressing room was never the same after the midfielder’s word on Araujo after the PSG match.
— @tjuanmarti pic.twitter.com/vVbRD6ahE2
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 8, 2024
Following the veteran midfielder’s remarks, Araújo remained quiet instead of expressing his feelings after his first public appearance after the costly foul that led to his expulsion.
“I prefer to keep my thoughts to myself,” Araújo said. “There are values and dress codes that I believe should be followed.”
