Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo has delivered a powerful and candid account of his battle with depression, revealing that he reached a “breaking point” last year that forced him to step away from professional football.
The 27-year-old Uruguayan international, currently on loan at Anfield from Barcelona, opened up to The Times about the immense emotional toll of his time in Spain. The crisis culminated in November, following a red card against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In the aftermath of that match, Araujo became the target of horrific death threats, an experience he admits was the final trigger for a mental health collapse that had been building for months.
“It was a very difficult time,” Araujo confessed. “I felt that what I needed to do was take a step back. I hadn’t felt right for a long time, and I wasn’t enjoying the thing I love most, which is football.”
Recognizing the severity of his decline, Araujo took an indefinite leave of absence from Barcelona. During a month-long sabbatical, the defender sought help from psychological professionals and leaned on his Christian faith to navigate complex personal issues that extended far beyond the white lines of the pitch.
“I realized I had to put my hand up, ask for help, and talk not just to the people closest to me, but to professionals as well,” he explained. “Sometimes you bottle things up and try to be the strong man, but in life, you have to talk about things.”
Araujo’s transparency has sparked a broader, vital conversation within the footballing world. Since sharing his story, the defender revealed that peers from across various leagues—including teammates at both Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team—have reached out to him privately to confess their own hidden struggles.
“There are a lot of players going through difficult times, but they’re afraid to talk about it publicly,” he noted. “Sometimes people generalize and assume that because footballers earn a lot of money, we can’t suffer or struggle. But we go through the same things as anyone else. There’s more to life than football.”
Now thriving during his loan spell on Merseyside, Araujo credits that critical hiatus with saving both his career and his overall wellbeing. Having rediscovered his passion for the game, the center-back is currently focused on helping Liverpool maintain their momentum as they prepare for a Premier League clash against Brighton.
Meanwhile, his parent club, Barcelona, prepares for the high-stakes pressure of El Clásico this Sunday. For Araujo, however, the most important victory has already been won: finding the strength to put his health first and returning to the game with a renewed sense of purpose and peace.
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