Araujo: 'I always wanted to stay'

Friday has been a big day at FC Barcelona with Ronald Araujo signing his new contract with the club until 2026. He did so beneath a poster saying The Future is Culer and with his family, and also president Joan Laporta at his side.

“It is a huge joy to be at Barça” said the Uruguayan defender. “I never doubted that I would stay and I hope to be here for many more years. We certified the agreement at two meetings. We wanted to do our part to help with the situation that the club is in right now.”

Praise from Laporta

Speaking from the Camp Nou pitch, Laporta added that “we want to thank Araujo for his character and commitment. He has opened his heart. He is a footballer of the immediate present, but this also helps us to consolidate our short and long term plans. He is a very talented player who will help us to build a winning Barça.”

With tears in his eyes, the 23-year-old centre back then said “I want to thank God, my family, the club and my colleagues for this opportunity. I am getting emotional because it was so hard for me to get where I am today.”

Strong mentality

“I always work hard” continued Araujo. “I watch videos and talk a lot with Xavi about learning the Barça style. I believe in the project and we will get back up and start winning trophies again. I want Barça fans to feel excited about the team, because we are going back to Barça DNA and we have a solid base of young and veteran players. We have a team to dream about.” 

"I feel such immense joy" he concluded. "I have matured a lot. I couldn’t pick any single moment from my time here, all I wanted was to renew my contract and be able to stay at Barça for a long, long time.”