Unprofessional behavior? Trouble with Hansi Flick? Frenkie de Jong has recently had to read quite a bit about himself that he didn’t like at all. The Barcelona player has now responded in no uncertain terms—and it’s not the first time.
Frenkie de Jong is certainly not one to hold back his opinions. He regularly speaks his mind when something rubs him the wrong way.
When his club, FC Barcelona, wanted to play its league match against Villarreal in Miami, USA, last season, de Jong thought that was “not right”—ultimately, the plan fell through. During the World Cup, the Dutchman then fired back at critics who accused him of not taking enough risks. “I feel like a lot of people don’t understand soccer. They watch it, but they don’t really get it, so to speak,” he said in an interview.
De Jong also spoke plainly in an interview with Barcelona’s club media, setting the record straight on a few points. “I wanted to briefly explain how I feel and what happened, so I can put this frustration behind me and focus fully on my recovery,” said de Jong.
The midfielder had been injured during the World Cup but continued to play despite the pain. The fact that he now has to take a longer break drew criticism from the media. But de Jong wasn’t going to let that slide. “I’m furious about all of this. It really upsets me.”
De Jong fears damage to his reputation
At first, the focus was on the injury. “Someone fell on me during practice and I had some minor knee issues. We had tests done, and it turned out to be just a minor problem. Everyone knew about it,” de Jong insisted. “I was told that although I was in pain, I could keep playing. I was assured that it couldn’t get any worse.”
However, a test after the World Cup revealed the opposite. “Nobody had expected that. That’s really frustrating,” said de Jong. But: “I see that a lot of things are being claimed that aren’t true. Many false claims are being published, and I realize that this is damaging my image and influencing some people’s opinions of me.”
The “noise” surrounding him and the “many false reports” bother de Jong, who has been under contract with the Catalans for seven years. De Jong also sees regular playing time under Hansi Flick, but the midfielder had a few things to clarify regarding his relationship with the coach as well. “It was claimed that my relationship with the coach is very bad, which is completely false. I have a very good relationship with the coach,” said the 29-year-old. “I talk to him a lot; you’re welcome to ask him. There are journalists who make up stories to be in the spotlight, even if they’re false.”
His allegedly strained relationship with the club also called for clarification. “I talk a lot with people from the club, with the board members and others. I’d say my relationship with the club is very good,” de Jong continued.
And then there’s the story surrounding last season’s Champions League quarterfinal. De Jong was left out of the squad for the 0–2 loss in the first leg against Atlético Madrid, and in the second leg, he only made a brief appearance. “It’s been claimed that I refused to play against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League last year. That’s wrong. It’s simply wrong. It’s just not true,” he clarified.
What is true, however, is that de Jong will miss much of the first half of the season due to his knee injury—another reason why Barcelona is pursuing Rodri from Manchester City. De Jong did not comment on the potential transfer, however, but did say: “I think we already have a very strong team and are constantly strengthening it.” The new signings so far, including Karim Adeyemi, “will help us a lot. I’m also trying to make it as easy as possible for them to settle in.”