Ronald Araujo was the center of attention during England’s recent international friendly against Uruguay at Wembley Stadium, after a violent challenge on Phil Foden prompted concerns.
The event occurred while the Barcelona defense attempted a clearing.
While getting a touch on the ball, his follow-through clipped Foden’s ankle, prompting the Manchester City midfielder to leave the field in pain.
Although Foden elected not to make a big deal out of the tackle, the rival bench reacted very differently.
England coach Thomas Tuchel took the challenge seriously and openly criticized Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa. According to mundo Deportivo.
Araujo responds
During a press conference with the Uruguayan national team, Araujo discussed the situation and gave his version of events.
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He stated that he had already spoken with Foden to alleviate any tensions between the two.
“It was a hard tackle, but obviously I went for the ball with no ill intent.”
He then explained how the situation was handled after the final whistle, demonstrating the mutual respect between the two players.
“After the game, I chatted with him (Foden) and gave him a message, and he said he was alright and that it was all part of the game—after all, it was football.
“People blow things out of proportion, but it’s clear that I go for the ball, and everyone knows I don’t play dirty.”
The Barcelona captain also discussed how the incident seemed on replay, acknowledging that it looked worse when slowed down.
“I viewed it later, and it’s true that freezing the play makes it look quite rough.
“But I went in with the aim of going for the ball; the referee was on the field, and VAR was present, so it’s obvious that I went for the ball.
“And the important thing is that I spoke with him, that he’s okay, and that he told me it was nothing, that it’s just soccer, and I’ll take that with me,” the man said.
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