Hansi Flick expressed that Barcelona will continue to support Ronald Araújo following the defender’s goal against Albacete in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday. This match marked Araújo’s first start since returning from a mental health break.
Araújo scored with a header to give Barcelona a 2-1 victory against the second division team, which had previously eliminated Real Madrid in the earlier round, securing Barça’s spot in the semifinals.
Flick addressed Araújo’s journey during the post-match press conference, stating, “It’s a step-by-step process; this is crucial for him. He scored a very important goal tonight, which can boost his confidence and belief in himself. That’s essential for both him and us.”
“We’re here to support him and provide help. He’s doing well, though you could see he was exhausted at the end—it’s part of the process.”
Araújo had taken time off to address mental health challenges in late November. During his hiatus, he visited spiritual sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and returned to his home country, Uruguay.
After resuming training in January, Araújo had made four substitute appearances, but Tuesday’s matchup was his first start of the year.
In a moment of gratitude towards Flick for his support during tough times, Araújo ran to embrace his manager after scoring against Albacete.
“I am really happy,” Araújo told reporters after the match. “I dedicate this goal to God, and I want to thank my wife as well. Hugging [Flick] was important—he’s been instrumental in my return.”
“I’m thankful for the support from the coach and my teammates. I feel like I’m improving every day.”
Araújo’s goal initially seemed to secure a comfortable win for Barça, following Lamine Yamal‘s opening goal, but a late header from Javi Moreno created a tense finish for the LaLiga leaders.
A crucial defensive play by Gerard Martín kept Albacete from forcing the game into extra time, leading Flick to bemoan his team’s struggles with finishing, a sentiment echoed following Saturday’s win against Elche.
“It was a challenging match towards the end,” Flick remarked. “We could have made it easier; we had control in the first half and maintained it for much of the second.”
“We create plenty of chances but need to convert them more decisively. It was close at the end, but we earned this win.”
“We’ve played games on Wednesday, Saturday, and now Tuesday. I’m proud of our team’s effort. Winning cup matches is essential, and we did just that. Now we’re in the semifinal.”
Barcelona will face Mallorca in LaLiga this Saturday.