Barcelona is set to receive almost €3 million in compensation from FIFA due to the long-term injury of key centre-back Ronald Araujo, who has been sidelined since July following an injury sustained while playing for Uruguay in the Copa America, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Araujo suffered the injury on July 7 during a match against Brazil, which has kept him out of action for an extended period. The compensation comes through FIFA’s Club Protection Programme, which provides financial assistance to clubs when players are injured while on international duty. This programme is activated when a player’s absence due to injury lasts longer than 28 consecutive days.
For Araujo, the 28-day threshold was surpassed on August 3, triggering FIFA’s payments to Barcelona. These payments are calculated based on the player’s fixed salary and continue until the player is cleared to return to action.
Barcelona has estimated that Araujo could make his comeback on December 15 in a La Liga fixture against Leganés. If this timeline holds, Araujo will have been sidelined for 162 days since his injury, with 134 of those days falling under FIFA’s compensation coverage.
By mid-December, if the return date is met, FIFA will have paid Barcelona €2,753,432 in compensation for Araujo’s absence.
The Club Protection Programme is specifically designed to alleviate the financial strain on clubs when their players suffer significant injuries while representing their national teams. In Araujo’s case, the coverage began as soon as he joined Uruguay’s Copa America training camp and will continue until he fully recovers.
This compensation offers Barcelona some financial relief, helping to mitigate the challenges caused by Araujo’s absence. However, the club will undoubtedly be eager for the defender’s return to bolster their defensive lineup in the coming months.
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