Barcelona defender received support from Real Madrid superstar during mental health battle | OneFootball

Barcelona captain and defender Ronald Araujo has received a bout of confidence after scoring an important goal against Albacete in the Copa del Rey.

It was a much-needed redemption for a player who has struggled with anxiety, depression and online harassment ever since making a silly error against Chelsea during the first half of the campaign.

The online criticism of Araujo was such that the defender had to opt for an indefinite time out to combat his mental health struggles.

Araujo received a call from Vinicius Jr

During his time out, Araujo received ample support from his own teammates and the club itself, which did not force him to come back even though they were running short on defensive numbers.

But apart from his own teammates, Araujo also received support from Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr.

Araujo scored an important goal against Albacete. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

As revealed by Diario AS, Vinicius Jr. made sure to put the rivalry aside and called up Araujo to offer him support and motivation during those tough times.

The call came at a time when Araujo thought enough was enough and decided to take a momentary breather from football to detox himself from the outside world.

What is particularly heartwarming about Vinicius’ call is that the two players are often direct rivals on the pitch, as Barcelona have been using Araujo as a shield against the talented Brazilian for the longest time.

Despite this rivalry on the flanks, Vinicius Jr. showed brilliant sportsmanship to call up his opponent at a time of weakness and lent him support and encouragement.

Vinicius Jr. wasn’t the only Real Madrid player to show affection towards Araujo, who notably received hugs from Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos and Dani Carvajal.