Ronald Araujo says his mom had to pay for his football boots in instalments

Ronald Araujo finally has a reason to smile as he is now fully recovered from the blow he took on his ankle against Real Betis. The Uruguayan has been one of the finds of the season along with Pedri and Oscar Mingueza. Barcelona signed the star defender in the summer of 2018 from the Uruguayan first division team, Boston River.

Initially, Araujo was assigned to the B-team, however, given the exceptional qualities he possesses, he was touted to be a first-team player. However, the road to one of the greatest clubs in the world has not been an easy one for him. In an interview, he spoke about the hardships faced by him.

“Sometimes we didn’t have much food. I remember eating some pasta with mayonnaise just with my mother,” said Araujo while explaining the precarious financial condition of his family.

He added: “Sometimes we didn’t have much food. I remember eating some pasta with mayonnaise just with my mother. I didn’t even have shoes to play football. My parents made a great effort to buy me shoes. I will always be grateful to them.”

From buying shoes in instalments to signing a contract with Nike, life has taken a turn in a very positive direction for the 22-year-old.

“My mother had to pay for my football shoes in instalments. It took her eight or nine months to pay for it. In the past, I didn’t have shoes. Today, I have a contract with Nike.” explained the Uruguayan.

Leo and Araujo. pic.twitter.com/aIKHqYTkFq

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) January 30, 2021

An interview of a Barca player without discussing Lionel Messi is incomplete, such is the aura of the Argentine legend. Araujo explains at length how Leo trains and works endlessly to produce magic week in week out.

“Messi works happily, not only in the games but also in training sessions. He trains like a beast and this is very good because he’s the captain,” said Araujo.

The Uruguayan centre-back has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet after a string of stellar performances. Since his return to the first team, Ronald Koeman has been cautious with him giving him two substitute appearances. However, he will look to be back in the centre of defense after the International Break.

Source: Barça TV+