Ronald Araujo aimed a thinly-veiled dig at Ilkay Gundogan after he claimed the Barcelona defender's red card against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek "killed" their chances of progressing in the Champions League.
Barca were dumped out of Europe's premier knockout competition at the quarter-final stage after blowing a 4-2 aggregate lead against the French champions, who travelled to the Nou Camp trailing 3-2 following an enthralling first-leg in Paris.
Xavi Hernandez's side went further ahead on the night before Araujo, 25, was dismissed in the 29th minute for bringing down Bradley Barcola as the last man following a misplaced pass. PSG would go on to use their numerical advantage to win the match 6-4 on aggregate and advance to the tournament semi-finals.
A frustrated Gundogan spoke immediately after the match and took aim at Araujo during an interview with CBS Sports. He said: “We were in such a good position after the first goal we scored. It was all in our hands. We just gave it away to PSG in the most simple manner, and that’s the most disappointing part.
“If Araujo fouled (Bradley) Barcola, I guess it’s a red card. I have not seen the replay yet so I don’t know if he got the ball, but it’s difficult to say. In these crucial moments, you need to be sure to get the ball. If you don’t get it, you have to stay away.
“Of course, I would have preferred to concede a goal there or give the striker a one-v-one against (goalkeeper Marc-Andre) Ter Stegen. Going down to 10 men with so much time to play just killed us.”
Unsurprisingly, Araujo did not seem overly enthused with the former Manchester City man's scathing comments when he was put on the spot post-match. The Uruguay star was asked for his opinion and said: “I prefer to keep it with myself what I think about those comments. I have my codes and values that I think you need to respect.”
Join the debate! What do you think of Gundogan's comments? Let us know here.
When he was then pressed on whether he felt Gundogan had fallen foul of those codes and values, Araujo retorted: “I think I have already replied to that question.”
Aruajo's manager, Xavi Hernandez, branded referee Istvan Kovacs as a "disaster" for his decision to send the defender. He felt the red card was harsh, explaining: “We are annoyed. The red card marked the tie. We were well organised 11 vs. 11. It completely changed everything. For me, it's too much to send [Araújo] off there.
“The referee was really bad. I told him, he was a disaster. He killed the tie. I don't like speaking about referees but it has to be said. I don't understand it. It's not good going down to 10 players and from that point on it's another game. For as much as we speak [about the match], the red card marks everything.”
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.