Araujo Reveals Impact of Tel Aviv Visit (Occupied Palestine) on Depression Recovery: 'It Gave Me a Lot of Peace'

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has revealed details of his struggle with depression in an interview with Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo," discussing his visit to Tel Aviv (Occupied Palestine) to overcome his mental health issues.

Araujo stated, "I hadn't been well for a long time, maybe over a year and a half. I didn't feel like myself, and that was the moment I pressed the button and said, 'Something is happening, I need to raise my hand and ask for help.' I am one of those who keep everything to themselves, but we must also understand that there are professionals who can help you, providing tools to know how to deal with certain situations. I needed to raise my hand and say something was happening to me so I could recover."

Regarding the crucial moment that prompted him to seek help, Araujo explained, "In that moment, with the adrenaline, you leave the pitch feeling sad, but after the match ends, everything collapses on you. I felt I wasn't well, that's the truth, but out of inertia, one tries to carry on, and sometimes you need help. I had been suffering from anxiety for a year and a half, which turned into depression, and I was playing like that. This doesn't help you, because on the pitch, you don't feel like yourself. One knows their value and what they can offer on the pitch, and when I didn't feel well, I knew something was happening. That day, I realized it was over, and I needed to talk to professionals and the club so they could help me."

He added, "Ultimately, we are people before we are footballers. Not everything is about money, not everything is about fame. One also suffers from things that happen on the pitch. We are lucky to do what we do, yes, but there is the person, and there are emotions. I am grateful to people because I saw a lot of support during that period when I decided to stop, and that helps. We must understand that we are more than just footballers; we are people."

When asked if he had considered retiring from football, Araujo replied, "I didn't think about stopping playing, but one asks themselves many questions because I didn't feel like myself. I knew something wasn't working, and my performance wasn't suitable for what I am capable of doing, so you ask yourself many questions. But it wasn't the idea, because I always dreamed of playing football since I was little, even though you lose some of that passion due to the situations you go through."

Araujo highlighted the significant role played by his Barcelona teammates: "Their role was very significant. After making the decision, I went through very bad days; I didn't want to get out of bed. It was difficult because I had always dreamed of playing football, and now I had to stop. Thank God, my wife was a key factor; she was very strong and supported me. At that moment, messages from my teammates started coming in, very good messages that lifted my spirits. Everyone wrote to me, and it was a tremendous motivation."

Regarding his trip to Tel Aviv (Occupied Palestine), he explained, "It was a very personal trip. I am Christian, and I went to a place with great history for Christianity. I needed that time of peace, solitude, and tranquility to reconnect with what I believe in and to understand many things because I had many questions. It benefited me greatly. It gave me a lot of peace, and I got the answers I wanted, facing what was to come. It was a very beautiful trip for me," emphasizing that faith was the key to his recovery: "It was the key, to be able to reconnect again, to understand my purpose, and to understand why we are here."

Araujo also touched upon the impact of social media criticism: "I was with my wife, and I saw her facial expressions change as she looked at her phone, and tears fell. I asked her what she saw, what happened, and she told me, 'I don't understand people's malice; they wish death upon our daughters.' When things reach this extent, you rethink many things and see how crazy people are. It might not reach you directly, but the family suffers; your mother and wife suffer, and your siblings too."