World
Ronald Araújo ‘heads to Israel for spiritual reset’ after online abuse from Barcelona fans
The defender is a devout Christian
December 10, 2025 11:56
The defender is a devout Christian
December 10, 2025 11:56Barcelona star Ronald Araújo has reportedly travelled to Israel seeking a spiritual and mental reset after a tumultuous period on and off the pitch.
The defender, from Uruguay, made the unusual decision to take a mid-season break during a packed fixture calendar to visit Jerusalem after being subjected to a wave of abuse by a contingent of team’s fanbase on social media, who blame him for a series of mistakes made by the team in recent matches.
Manager Hansi Flick and the Barça coaching team are believed to have granted the 26-year-old permission to take the trip.
Araújo, a devout Christian, boarded a flight from Barcelona to Tel Aviv yesterday morning and intends to visit some of the most sacred sites in Israel in hopes of reconnecting spiritually with his faith and returning with a clear mind, according to Spanish publication Sport.
News of the trip, first reported by football journalist Fabrizio Romano on Instagram, was immediately met with a flood of posts from followers on the platform declaring “Free Palestine” and gifs of Palestinian flags.
Araújo has not publicly commented on the hiatus.
The defender has performed poorly in a string of recent matches - most recently he was sent off during an away match against Chelsea in November after getting two yellow cards in the first half.
His supporters hope that the trip to Israel will provide Araújo with a much-needed psychological reset to help him return to his previous performance levels, though some have speculated this could spell the end of his time at Barcelona.
Former Barça player Gerard Piqué has backed Araújo’s decision to get away, telling Sport that “mental health must be taken care of … in this case, Ronald has raised his hand and said ‘enough’ and I think the club does very well to listen to him, give him the necessary time, and I think that all football fans in Spain should reflect a little”.
Araújo is one of the club’s five captains, and has spent his whole club career at Barcelona since leaving his native Uruguay in 2018.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.