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. Previously, the Dutch midfielder's last appearance was in the Joan Gamper Cup friendly match, before the 2024-2025 season started.
When De Jong came on to replace Lamine Yamal, Barca fans across the stands gave the Dutch conductor a round of applause. Although not too enthusiastic, the Cules have at least seen De Jong again after a long period of injury, accompanied by many previous transfer scandals.
"The fans applauded me when I came on, it was fun and grateful for that. I didn't expect anything more than that, everything in the future is unpredictable. Anyway, I'm happy that everyone is still cheering like that. The journey has been really difficult" - De Jong shared after the match.
The 27-year-old star suffered an ankle injury in April and was out for the rest of last season. By September, De Jong had not yet recovered completely in the ankle area and the fear of a long-term leave increased. Every time he was in pain and had to miss a match, rumors about a transfer appeared, especially related to Manchester United.
In addition, rumors about the salary in heaven, along with commensurate contributions in reality, are a huge burden on De Jong's shoulders. There was a time when the Spanish media said the Dutch star did not want surgery anymore and just sat there to get paid.
"There was a time when they said I didn't want surgery and waited for the team to pay a lot of money. The rumored figure is very high, up to 37 million Euros. I understand the frustration in the media because they think I am paid a lot of money. They kept saying I didn't want surgery, didn't want to practice and kept sitting there without getting any money. That is not true!
My side has agreed with the doctors that not having surgery would be the best option. That is the truth, I also don't know where those false rumors come from. I understand the fans are very disappointed, but that is because they do not 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 have 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 forward for De Jong to return this season.
"I think he ran more than he needed when he first came back. However, it is also a good way to get used to the pressures again.
Before De Jong was injured, he was a very important player for the whole team. We have always wanted De Jong to return. Therefore, everyone gave us their full support. The whole team knows he needs more time, so we will create more conditions.
De Jong is very hard-working 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 paired up with Marc Casado, the young talent who has replaced him since the beginning of the season. In the match against Monaco, the 21-year-old midfielder played very well and so did he against Young Boys. This is the pressure of competing for a 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 foreseeable period. Barcelona's upcoming opponents will be Bayern Munich (Champions League) and Real Madrid (La Liga). If De Jong plays well in these two encounters, everything negative in the media in the past will disappear.
Since the beginning of the season, Flick has brought back the best version for Raphinha and Lewandowski, Cules are hoping the German coach will do the same for De Jong.
