Frenkie de Jong's survival manual

BarcelonaFive months later, Frenkie de Jong returned to the scene. The last time he had been seen defending the Barça crest was at Mestalla, on May 23, on the matchday that closed the League. Against Real Madrid, he stepped back onto the pitch to play the last 15 minutes of a match with urgent needs on the scoreboard. He did so to play as an interior midfielder, even though Hansi Flick had made him train as a center-back, due to the avalanche of absences in defense. In fact, De Jong is very likely to partner with Pau Cubarsí today in the heart of the defense against Alavés (9 PM, Movistar).

When he replaced Fermín in the classic, the Dutchman received quite a few whistles. The management of the injury he sustained at the World Cup largely explains it. The version from Barça is that he did not report his injury, that he played with discomfort, and that, once eliminated, he went on vacation to Ibiza instead of prioritizing and starting his recovery in Barcelona. Furthermore, he rejected the medical advice agreed upon by the entity's specialists, which was to undergo surgery for the tear in the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. The history of tug-of-war with De Jong is long. This summer, however, the situation was different: Barça was signing Rodri and Flick aligned himself with the position taken by the offices.

The coach even stripped him of the captaincy. For some time now, however, the fans have been raising an eyebrow at a footballer who arrived with the aura – and the price tag and salary – of having to become one of the best midfielders of the decade. After eight seasons, the feeling is that he has never quite managed to move beyond being inconsequential. Despite this, there has not been a manager at Barça with whom De Jong has not accumulated a heap of starts and minutes. From Ernesto Valverde to Hansi Flick, passing through Quique Setién, Ronald Koeman, and Xavi Hernández.

Against Real Madrid, when Flick looked to the bench in search of solutions and energy, he chose the Dutchman. The little more than 15 minutes he played worked in his favor. De Jong exhibited personality, a willingness to demand the ball, and even came close to scoring. He did so in a more advanced position than he is accustomed to. What he offered is precisely what is demanded of De Jong: leadership and impact on the game.

The footballer who charms the coaches, but not the fans

There are several factors that help to understand why the Dutchman is a footballer who amazes coaches and teammates, but who has never quite convinced the fans. First, we must look at the origin of his arrival. "Frenkie was a very important signing. PSG and Guardiola's City were also after him and he chose Barça," recalls one of the sources consulted, who shared day-to-day life with the Dutchman at the blue and garnet club.

Guardiola's blessing –who considered him a midfielder who "would define the next decade in European football", as one of the sources familiar with the negotiations to sign him relates to the ARA–, having been designated as the best midfielder of the 2018-19 Champions League edition and the figures of his transfer, nearly 90 million including fixed amounts and variables, generated high expectations among the Barça fanbase.

"He hasn't quite consolidated his position, but first we must take into account that he arrived at a complicated moment for Barça. With problems at the club and changes of coaches. Later, when he has been well, injuries have conditioned his game and he has lacked continuity. Along the way, other midfielders who appealed more to the fans have also been appearing. When he arrived, Busquets was still the starting pivot for Barça and, years later, names like Pedri or Fermín have appeared, who have convinced the followers more", relates another source who has worked with the Dutchman at Barça.

The big question mark of De Jong at Barça

"He has extraordinary technical quality: reading of the game, possession, dribbling, versatility... He can play as a 6, as an 8... When you watch him play, even in training, you see the very high technical level he has. That is why his teammates also speak very highly of him –adds one of the people consulted–, but he is less flashy than other teammates... Surely because he has a bit less character, he is colder. By this I do not mean that he is not competitive, because he is, but he lacks better numerical records: more goals, assists... He has never quite managed to translate all the potential he has into performance".

If De Jong convinces all the coaches it is, in large part, because of "the reliability" he brings, even though the fans reproach him for sometimes appearing in the photo of defensive errors due to a lack of forcefulness. "He is a footballer with great talent and great versatility in midfield. He has also played as a centre-back, even though it is not his position. He has the capacity to have the ball, to want it, because it is very difficult for rivals to take it from him. This is also highly valued by his teammates: it does not surprise me that he charms coaches and players, seeing the conditions he has. It is just a matter of these conditions being translated into consistent performance," they state.

The great unknown is knowing whether De Jong, who has received offers every summer but has never wanted to leave Barça, will manage to convince the fans. "Dembélé, for other reasons, also had brutal potential and it took him many years to explode. Perhaps he will explode a little later. The conditions must be met: he is a player who depends a lot on the environment and on the wind blowing in his favor. De Jong has lived for many years with the wind against him, just like Barça," concludes one of the sources. "If he is 100% physically fit, for me he is an exceptional footballer," said Flick in the preview of the duel against Alavés.