Frenkie de Jong made his return to the pitch after coming on as a substitute in Barcelona's 5-0 win over Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League. The Dutch midfielder's last appearance was in a Joan Gamper Cup friendly, ahead of the 2024-25 season.
When De Jong came on for Lamine Yamal, Barca fans across the stands gave the Dutch conductor a standing ovation. Although not too enthusiastic, at least the Cules saw De Jong again after a long period of injury, along with many previous transfer scandals.
"The fans applauded me when I entered the field, it was great and I was grateful for that. I didn't expect anything more than that, everything in the future is unpredictable. Anyway, I'm glad that everyone is still cheering like that. The journey has been really difficult" - De Jong shared after the match.
The 27-year-old suffered an ankle injury in April that kept him out for the rest of last season. By September, De Jong was still recovering from the ankle injury and fears of a long-term absence were growing. Every time he was injured and had to miss a game, transfer rumours would surface, particularly involving Manchester United.
In addition, rumors of sky-high salaries, along with actual contributions that are not commensurate, are a huge burden on De Jong's shoulders. There was a time when the Spanish media said the Dutch star did not want to undergo surgery anymore and just sat there to collect his salary.
"There was a time when they said I didn't want surgery and waited for the club to pay a lot of money. The rumored figure was very high, up to 37 million Euros. I understand those frustrations in the media because they think I'm paid a lot of money. They kept saying I didn't want surgery, didn't want to train and just sit there and get paid. That's not true!
My side agreed with the doctors that not having surgery would be the best option. That's the truth, I don't know where those false rumors came from. I understand the fans are disappointed but that's because they don't have enough information. As for me, I choose to stay silent" - De Jong shared.
For Barcelona, De Jong's return will help reduce pressure on the squad and provide more diverse rotation. In the match against Young Boys, Hansi Flick took advantage of the last 15 minutes when everything was settled to put his student on the field. After the match, the German captain said this was a big step for De Jong to return this season.
"I think he ran more than necessary when he first came back. But it was also a good way to get used to the pressure again.
Before De Jong got injured, he was a very important player for the team. We always wanted De Jong to come back. Therefore, we all gave him our full support. The team knew he needed more time, so we created more conditions.
De Jong works hard and always shows a professional attitude. These are very important things and I think he deserves patience from Barcelona" - Flick shared.
During his time on the pitch, De Jong had 22 touches, making 19 passes with an accuracy rate of 89%. On the pitch, the Dutch star partnered Marc Casado, the young talent who replaced him at the beginning of the season. In the match against Monaco, the 21-year-old midfielder played very well and the same against Young Boys. This is the pressure of competition for position with De Jong after returning to the squad.
Despite the pressure, De Jong should not rush to avoid an early recurrence of the injury. The most important thing right now is to stay calm for the immediate period. Barcelona's upcoming opponents will be Bayern Munich (Champions League) and Real Madrid (La Liga). If De Jong plays well in these two matches, all the negativity in the media will disappear.
Since the beginning of the season, Flick has brought back the best version of Raphinha and Lewandowski, the Cules are hoping the German coach will do the same with De Jong.
