Araujo goes to Israel on a spiritual journey

BarcelonaRonald Araujo has been out of action for mental health reasons for a week. After being sent off against Chelsea in a very unfortunate incident with Marc Cucurella, the Uruguayan center-back suffered from reactive anxiety, forcing him to stop playing professional football. As the ARA explained, the situation has been brewing for a long time. The incident at Stamford Bridge was merely the catalyst for the player to inform the club that he is not psychologically prepared to compete at the highest level. He has already missed four official matches and there is no date set for his return.

In fact, according to journalist Carlos Monfort ofSport As this newspaper has confirmed, Araujo has decided to embark on a spiritual journey this week to try and lift his spirits. The central defender has flown to Israel, where he will visit several religious sites with the intention of improving his mental health. He took a flight to Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning and is expected to visit various Christian churches in the coming days, in addition to disconnecting from his daily life in Barcelona. Araujo is a devout follower of this religious doctrine, and in Tel Aviv, for example, he will find the famous St. Peter's Church, which welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world each year. Jerusalem also boasts world-renowned religious sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives, the Via Dolorosa, and Mount Zion. Nazareth and Bethlehem are also located in Israel.

The Barça vice-captain is also a big fan of urban music with religious themes. He has shared songs by artists like Madiel Lara, Redimido, and Gabriel EMC, who blend rap, trap, and reggaeton with messages of support for the Christian God. Araujo has also used religious motifs in his goal celebrations, and a few months ago he married his partner of two years, Abigail Olivera, in a Methodist church in Montevideo. They have two young daughters.

Ronald Araujo, with no return date set for the pitch

At the moment, there is still no estimated return date for the center-back, whom the club is supporting so he can recover and feel ready to play again. Araujo is a player who needs constant positive reinforcement to perform, based on well-founded praise. As has been demonstrated, and according to sources consulted by this newspaper, the center-back has high self-expectations (and a heightened awareness of his own mistakes) which makes him suffer with criticism, both external—although players try to shield themselves, negative comments often eventually reach them, either directly or through their inner circle—and from himself. This can end up leading, for example, to a panic about making mistakes during the game and triggering the player's insecurities and, in Araujo's case, to a state of anxiety that makes him feel unprepared to manage the pressure of playing for a club where you are so exposed (and with such high expectations).