Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo react to El Clasico defeat – ‘Have to correct our mistakes’ | OneFootball

After Barcelona’s painful 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the 2025/26 season, Ronald Araujo was among the few players to speak up. 

The Uruguayan defender, who came on in the second half to stabilise the backline, addressed the loss with calmness and honesty. 

Araujo admitted that while the result was disappointing, the team must remain focused and united.

“We’re sad, but we have to lift our heads and keep going. We have a long season ahead of us and we have to correct our mistakes,” said Araujo.

About the incident involving Yamal

The match was followed by a heated confrontation involving several Real Madrid players and young Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal. 

The situation unfolded when Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal, Courtois, Eduardo Camavinga, and Vinicius Jr. approached Yamal, sparking a moment of tension between both sets of players. 

Araujo, however, chose his words carefully when asked about the incident.

“Let’s see. I’m not going to talk about Lamine today. I’m just going to say that he’s a great professional and that we’re happy to have him with us.

“He’s of age and knows what he has to do,” he stated.

Clarifying his role during the brief clash, Araujo added, “I don’t know what happened. I just went to separate the two. 

Frenkie de Jong spoke about the incident too. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“How Madrid takes it (Yamal’s statements before the Clasico) doesn’t matter to me. It’s their business.”

Frenkie de Jong’s analysis

Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong also reflected on the loss, expressing disappointment at Barcelona’s lack of sharpness in front of goal. 

“If you’re not sharp, they’ll counterattack and create danger. We need to create chances and improve. We competed, but it wasn’t enough. 

“In the second half, we controlled the game more, but we lacked danger and clear chances,” said the Dutchman.

Following the result, Barcelona sit second in La Liga with 22 points, five behind leaders Real Madrid, who have 27.

Yamal’s pre-match comments, where he made remarks about Real Madrid and refereeing, had stirred controversy ahead of the clash. After the final whistle, those same remarks reignited tensions on the pitch. 

Addressing the incident, De Jong came to his young teammate’s defence. “It was all very exaggerated,” he said. 

“If you know Lamine and think he doesn’t have to make these statements, you’d call him privately. 

“Besides, he’s not that big. I didn’t hear Lamine saying that Madrid was outright stealing,” he concluded.

Source: Mundo Deportivo