After years of waiting, FC Barcelona reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League last night, after having overcome Napoli in the second leg of the Round of 16.
This is a significant achievement for the whole team, but some of the players will be extracting more happiness out of this event than others.
The Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araujo definitely falls in the former category as this is the first time that he has qualified for the quarter-finals of the premier European competition.
As SPORT has reported, the defender spoke to the media in the mixed zone after the match and addressed his situation at Barcelona, which comes in the backdrop of him being linked with a move to Bayern Munich.
In this regard, the Uruguayan commented: “My future depends on the club. Everyone knows that I’m very happy here at Barça. And very grateful to Xavi.”
The defender was also very happy with the qualification that his team secured to the UCL quarter-finals and thanked the fans for their contribution:
“We’re very happy with the qualification; we played a great game at home. The support from our fans was crucial from the first minute.”
Lastly, the center-back also praised Pau Cubarsi and commented on how Christensen’s changed role has helped the team:
“He’s a great player, but the defensive pivot is very important for us. We used to have Busquets, but now we have Christensen. He’s the one who sets the pace in front of the defense.”
Thus, while Araujo clarified that he is very happy at Barcelona, he still has not completely shut the door on a possible move away from the club.
With these comments, he has put the ball in the Catalan club’s court, which will now have to decide whether to retain one of the most highly-rated defenders or get a big cheque to solve their underlying economic issues.
