He did not necessarily silence the critics during his first 87 minutes on the lawn, but his saving goal for FC Barcelona at Alavès (0-1) offered him a welcome light. And he took the opportunity to settle some scores. Pointed out by part of the Catalan press for his disappointing outings for many months, Frenkie de Jong wanted to put things in order. “They will say that as I scored, I played well. But a lot of people don’t watch my matches well“, he launched at the microphone of Movistar.
So of course, he recognizes it: the former prodigy of Ajax Amsterdam is not at the level expected. With his elegance, his quality of passes, his sense of the game and his football IQ, he was tipped to become a centerpiece at Barça, which did not hesitate to put 86 million to recruit him in 2019. We are far from the mark even since the departure of Lionel Messi this summer. He agrees. “I must and I can improve a lot“, confessed the metronome of the Netherlands, unable to have the influence he had at Ajax in Barça. But he finds the criticism too harsh.”I’m not a disaster either. If I can do better, I’m not a disaster“, he still defended himself.
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Frenkie de Jong
Credit: Eurosport
After the setback against Real: “I was sorry that they said we had to be proud”
While Sergio Busquets remains unstoppable at the heart of the game and the youngsters Pedri, Gavi or even Nico Gonzalez are getting more and more thick in the midfield, Frenkie de Jong finds himself in a delicate situation. While he has an attractive market value even though he failed to become the expected player in Catalonia, some believe his transfer would be seen as an opportunity for Barca. And rumors are piling up for the 24-year-old Batavian.
In the meantime, Frenkie de Jong remains a Barca player. And do not miss the opportunity to send messages. Especially on the state of mind to have. “AT my eyes against Madrid, we didn’t play badly, but it made me sad that people said we were prouds”, he slipped about the setback in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid (2-3, ap). “It doesn’t have to be like this. At Barça, when you lose against Madrid, you must be disappointed. I was sorry they said you had to be proud“, explained the Dutchman, a longtime fan of Barça. A message for his leaders who should appreciate this moderately. But at the moment, Frenkie de Jong has other worries in mind.
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