Ilkay Gündogan publicly criticised Ronald Araújo after Barcelona’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint‑Germain, saying that Araújo’s red card “killed the game” and that in such crucial moments a defender must be sure to get the ball or otherwise stay away, even if that means allowing a one‑on‑one or conceding a goal instead of leaving the team with 10 men. He added that Barcelona had effectively “given the game away in the most simple manner,” stressing that these avoidable mistakes are unacceptable at that level.

Main post‑match comments

• Gündogan said that going a player down so early “just kills the game” and that Barcelona had “given it away in the most simple manner” against PSG.

• He explained that in those situations a defender must be completely sure of winning the ball and, if not, should avoid the foul and trust the goalkeeper or accept the chance of conceding, rather than risking a red card.

How he later framed it

• In later interviews, Gündogan insisted his remarks were meant as constructive criticism to help the team improve and that top teams grow by communicating honestly, even if the words are uncomfortable.

• He also reiterated that his intention was not to attack Araújo personally but to highlight the need for accountability and learning from mistakes at elite level.

Araújo’s response and aftermath

• Araújo initially declined to answer directly, saying he preferred to keep his opinion to himself and that he has “values” or “codes” that must be respected, which many interpreted as displeasure with the public nature of the criticism.

• Reports later indicated that Gündogan spoke with Araújo and apologised for the way he expressed himself, with Araújo saying that everything had been clarified and that things were “all good” between them.