After some time away from the competition, Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo spoke in an interview with Mundo Deportivo about the mental health problems he had to deal with and how his staff of the Spanish emblem helped him throughout the process. «It was an accumulation of situations. I hadn't felt well for a long time, maybe more than a year and a half. We tried to be strong, maybe because of the roots we have, because of the place we came from, we tried to move forward, but I felt like I wasn't doing well. I no longer felt like myself and it was at that moment that I realized something was wrong, that I needed to ask for help. I'm one of those people who keeps everything to themselves, but it's also important to understand that there are professionals who can help us, give us tools to know how to deal with certain situations», he began by saying. The 26-year-old played 78 minutes in the victory against Albacete recently. Despite having already played a few games this season, this was the first time, since November against Chelsea, that the Uruguayan played more than 20 minutes. «The truth is that it is very good. I felt very comfortable. I think I played a good game. I also managed to help achieve the goal and it was very good for me. Physically, I also felt strong. In the end, obviously tired, because I hadn't played so many minutes in a long time, but overall I'm very, very happy", he confessed «It changed a lot because I learned a lot during that time. I think that's what I had to do after that decision I made. I feel different and I'm happy about that, because I'm more comfortable, happier. I can enjoy what I like to do, which is play football, and that helps a lot,” he added. During the recovery process, Ronald Araújo spoke about Deco's help and how the former Portuguese international dealt with the situation. «First I talked to Deco because he is the sporting director. I told him what was happening. Initially, he was a little surprised, because it's not very common for a Barcelona player to talk about these things, but he handled it very well, in a very personal way. From the first minute, Deco spoke to the president and the coach. They were spectacular. I am very grateful to Deco, the president, the coach, also to the people who are inside and who perhaps cannot be seen, but who are part of our daily lives. They were very important. From the first moment they understood and the club gave me everything I needed to recover. This is also based on the trust they have in me as a player", he said before speaking about the coach. "He [Hansi Flick] took it very personally. He was sad about the situation. Flick knows the conditions I face and it was clear that I wasn't playing to the best of my ability. He knew something was wrong. From the beginning he sent me messages telling me to recover calmly, that the most important thing was for me to get over what was happening. That gives you peace to recover, because you know you have the support of the club, the coach and your teammates", he added. At the service of the team guided by the German coach, the 26-year-old Uruguayan central defender has played 195 games, 13 goals and seven assists.
