Rabat – Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has publicly rejected what he described as “false” and damaging reports surrounding his fitness, attitude and relationship with head coach Hansi Flick.
Speaking to Barcelona’s club media on Friday, De Jong addressed speculation that has intensified since he returned injured from the 2026 World Cup, where the Netherlands were eliminated by Morocco on penalties in the round of 32.
The 29-year-old suffered a knee problem during a Netherlands training session but continued playing after being told the injury was unlikely to worsen. He started against Morocco despite experiencing discomfort.
Further examinations following his return to Barcelona revealed torn ligaments in his right knee, a more serious injury than initially diagnosed. Reuters reported in July that De Jong would be sidelined for several weeks but did not require surgery at that stage.
De Jong has opted for conservative treatment rather than an operation and insists the rehabilitation plan has been agreed upon by everyone involved.
“Right now I’m doing work with the physical therapists,” he said. “We’ve made a plan which everyone knows about and everyone agrees with.”
De Jong denies refusing Atlético match
The Dutch international also strongly rejected reports that he refused to play in Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atlético Madrid last season.
“That’s false, it’s simply not true,” De Jong said.
“My dream is to play for Barça and, above all, in the big Champions League matches. Everyone wants to play in those matches. I don’t understand how anyone could say that I refused.”
De Jong had been recovering from a hamstring injury at the time and eventually featured for only the final 10 minutes of the game.
The latest controversy comes less than a year after Barcelona appeared to have finally secured De Jong’s long-term future. In October 2025, he signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2029. Barcelona said at the time that De Jong felt comfortable at the club and enjoyed a strong relationship with Flick.
Read also: De Jong Extends Contract with Barcelona Until 2029
