Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo, on loan from Barcelona, said he reached a "breaking point" during a battle with depression and felt he needed to take a step back. Liverpool are preparing to host Brighton in the Premier League, while Barcelona are preparing to take on Real Madrid on Sunday night.
Araujo describes a difficult period
Speaking to Paul Joyce of The Times, Araujo said: "It was a very difficult time. 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."
The decision after Stamford Bridge
Araujo said: "I made the decision after being sent off at Stamford Bridge because that was the breaking point. I just couldn’t carry on any longer, but it wasn’t down to any one particular incident. A lot of things had been building up, particularly in my personal life, and I didn’t know how to deal with them."
He added: "I realised 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. Sometimes you bottle things up and try to be the strong man, but in life you have to talk about things and open up about what you’re going through."
What he said about other players
Araujo said: "Sometimes people generalise 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."
He also said: "I had a lot of players from different leagues get in touch with me. I see it when I speak to teammates, not just at Liverpool but with the national team too. There are a lot of players going through difficult times, but they’re afraid to talk about it publicly. It’s important to open up because that’s when you start to feel better."
How he feels now
Araujo said: "Taking that break was the best decision I’ve ever made. Today, I feel good, I’m happy and I’m enjoying football again, and that shows on the pitch. Now I can show what I’m really capable of again."