“He is the example I want to follow” - Ronald Araujo names Barcelona legend he wants to emulate
Ronaldo Araujo has stated that he wants to follow the example of Barcelona and Spain legend Carles Puyol.
A one-club man, Puyol made 593 appearances for Barca's senior side in a professional career that spanned 15 years. He retired in the summer of 2014 after winning 23 titles with club and country and earning a century of caps for Spain.
Puyol was famous for his tenacity, reading of the game, and leadership, among a host of other traits. In that sense, Araujo, 24, still has some way to go if he wants to match the legendary Spaniard's legacy.
But the Uruguay international is on the right path and has already become a regular fixture in Xavi Hernandez's set-up. He has made 128 appearances since his move from Boston River in 2018.
Speaking about his 'reference' in football, the childhood Barcelona fan said, via SPORT:
"Carles is a reference for me and for those of us who play defense, even more so at Barça. He is the example that I want to follow and that we should all follow. As captain, he transmitted the values of the club as I would like to do."
Araujo also said that he has a good relationship with the 45-year-old, and the latter apparently writes to the former every now and then. Araujo said:
"I have a good relationship with him [Puyol], sometimes he writes to me and that makes me very happy."
The Barca center-back has appeared in 15 games across competitions this term, wearing the armband on four occasions. Xavi has also made use of his versatility, playing him as a right-back in a couple of games.
Ronald Araujo speaks on his aims with Barcelona this season
Ronald Araujo, via the aforementioned source, also spoke about what he aims to achieve with Barcelona this season. He said:
"I expect a great season. There are always ups and downs, we must be strong, not stop working and trust that we have a great team. I hope to be able to win the most important titles at the end of the year."
Despite a strong start to the season, Barcelona have fallen down to fourth in the LaLiga table with 35 points from 17 games. They have managed just one win from their last four league games, which means they now trail league leaders Girona by nine points.
The Catalan giants topped their UEFA Champions League group due to a better head-to-head record over Porto after amassing 12 points. But their two losses came against Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp — teams they were expected not to lose against.