‘Thoughts to Myself’ – PSG’s Elimination of Barcelona from UCL Ignites Friction Among Teammates

Originally posted on PSG Talk | Last updated 4/18/24

Paris Saint-Germain might have accidentally caused division within FC Barcelona‘s locker room after eliminating the Catalan side in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

The turning point in the tie came midway through the first half when Ronald Araújo was sent off following a foul on Bradley Barcola . Afterward, the Parisians scored four unanswered goals, which allowed PSG to turn the situation around and advance on a 6-4 aggregate score.

After the loss, İlkay Gündoğan spoke to CBS Sports and vented his frustration, highlighting the Araújo foul that led to their elimination from the UEFA Champions League.

"Everything was in our hands and we just gave it away."

İlkay Gündoğan spoke with @GuillemBalague to discuss what went wrong for Barcelona pic.twitter.com/GIs5uoI1O1

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 16, 2024

However, these remarks didn’t sit well with Araújo, who remained quiet instead of stating his feelings in his first public appearance since the costly foul that led to his expulsion.

“I prefer to keep my thoughts to myself,” Araújo said (h/t Mundo Deportivo). “There are values and dress codes that I believe should be followed.”

The loss to PSG was a financial blow, but it now seems the capital club moving past the La Liga team has caused some friction within the locker room. It will be interesting to see if this spirals out of control or if Xavi Hernandez can put this entire situation behind the group.

This article first appeared on PSG Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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