Ilkay Gündogan has fallen out with Ronald Araujo after he publicly commented on the young defender following the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Just days before the El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Barcelona locker room is divided. The media outing of Ilkay Gündogan, who criticized the red card given to his teammate Ronald Araújo, has left its mark.
During an event with the club Thursday, the Uruguayan defender added fuel to the fire by saying he prefers to keep his thoughts to himself.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Ilkay Gündogan did not intend to belittle any of his teammates and explained himself to them. Xavi also tried to clarify the situation, but the two players have not spoken to each other.
The German wants to reconnect with his defender to clear up the misunderstanding. He will also use the exposure during the match against Real Madrid to speak publicly
Seen as a leader in the locker room due to his experience, Ilkay Gündogan will also need to prove himself on the field in La Liga. With Barcelona 8 points behind Real, they absolutely must win at the Bernabéu if they hope to still have a chance of winning the championship.
This isn’t the first time that Gündogan has made himself unpopular with parts of the squad at the Catalan club. He did it once before, when a statement to the press also sparked controversy.
Back then, he expressed his dissatisfaction with how his teammates didn’t seem more upset about a loss to Real Madrid. This led several of his teammates to respond with posts on social media.
