Frenkie de Jong proves he can end his great mantra

BarcelonaFrenkie de Jong proved against Real Madrid that he can silence much of the criticism he faces. In the Super Cup final, the Dutchman excelled in the midfield leadership that has so often been criticized. But not only that, the number 21 also displayed a character rarely seen on the pitch. At 28, he is one of the most experienced players in the squad, with only Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo having been in the dressing room longer than him. For this reason, based on seniority, he is the third captain. Against Real Madrid, Frenkie wore the armband due to the absence of Ter Stegen – relegated to the bench since Joan Garcia's arrival – and the Uruguayan, who was cleared to play for mental health reasons precisely during the Super Cup.

The plan of the dismissed Xabi Alonso, with an approach amarategui of dyes MourinhistesThe focus was on disrupting Barcelona's build-up play with constant marking – especially by Jude Bellingham – on Pedri González, the Catalan side's engine. This forced the Dutchman to take a more prominent role in orchestrating the game, just as Eric Garcia was also a key figure in the build-up play. Joan Garcia was another. With 24 of 27 passes completed (89% accuracy), the Catalan goalkeeper made more passes (and with greater accuracy), for example, than Real Madrid midfielders like Bellingham (24 of 20, 83%), Camavinga (12 of 14, 86%), or Fede Valverde (9 of 16, 5%).

For his part, De Jong excelled in this aspect: 84 successful passes out of 89 attempts (94% accuracy), 60 of them in the opponent's half (out of 63 attempts, 95%), and he successfully completed the only key pass – the one that leads to a scoring opportunity – that he attempted. In fact, through balls and statistics regarding assists and goals remain his main strength. However, the Dutchman emerged stronger in two other key aspects that are often criticized by football analysts and the general public: his character, his decisiveness in tackles, and his ball recoveries. Against Real Madrid, he was the midfielder who recovered the most balls: six.

A player who wins over teammates and coaches alike.

In the Super Cup final, Frenkie not only wore the captain's armband, but he acted like one. He took responsibility for the ball, constantly demanding it and playing it intelligently. He was the midfielder with the most successful passes in the match, although both Pedri and Fermín also provided an assist. In fact, sources within the dressing room say that much of the Dutchman's development has come from playing alongside the Canary Islander in the staggered double pivot system implemented by Hansi Flick. The best versions of the Dutchman we've seen have been with Pedri as his partner.

De Jong's performance is often a subject of debate, precisely because he has never consistently reached the level he displayed this past weekend. A hefty contract, negotiated by Josep Maria Bartomeu to beat out Manchester City and PSG in January 2019, and his arrival at Barça with the reputation of being the best midfielder in the Champions League during the 2018-19 season, generated expectations that Frenkie has never quite lived up to. The salary deferrals during the pandemic, which made him one of the players to whom the club owed the most money, and the club's repeated attempts to transfer him – especially in the summer of 2022 – have frequently placed him under intense scrutiny, particularly because he has been the focus of attention in recent defeats.

De Jong, however, has almost always been a starter under every manager he's had: Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setién, Ronald Koeman, Xavi Hernández, and now Hansi Flick. "It's impossible to get the ball away from him in training; he's one of the best," sources in the Barcelona dressing room told ARA. Behind closed doors, he receives praise from teammates and coaches alike. In the recent matches where he didn't start and Eric Garcia was chosen at pivot, it might have seemed like a reprimand from the manager, but the same sources deny it: "He was simply finishing his recovery from the flu. Flick has complete confidence in him." And this was evident in the Super Cup, where Eric played center back and De Jong returned to pivot. What can be criticized about Frenkie, though, is that with the renewal until 2029 already signed, There's a certain feeling within the club that he sometimes over-regulates himself and doesn't push himself as hard as he could. "He's Dutch, he's a strategist," they admit at the training ground. He'll miss the next match, on Thursday in the Cup, due to his sending-off on Sunday.