Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona's midfielder, broke his silence regarding reports that spoke of escalating tensions between him and the club due to the knee injury suffered by the Dutch star.
De Jong had played in the 2026 World Cup matches, after the state of frustration that prevailed in Barcelona at the end of the previous season due to his declining physical condition which was further affected after participating with the Netherlands.
De Jong said in statements published by the Spanish "Sport": "I have noticed the spread of many lies about me online. If someone says that I am not playing well or that my level is not good, that's fine, that's your right, but fabricating lies about my injury bothers me greatly".
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He added: "For example, journalist Gerard Romero, he published information that Frenkie refused to participate as a starter against Atletico in the second leg match in the Champions League, which is completely untrue information. I don't understand how he can say all this, then he claimed that my relationship with Hans Flick is very bad, which is another big lie. My relationship with Flick is wonderful and he himself will confirm that to you".
He continued: "He also claimed that the club is punishing me, which is another lie. I will not allow him to fabricate lies about me anymore. He has been used to doing that with me for years, but now that's enough".
De Jong continued about Gerard Romero: "I think we live in a time when publishing news, for many journalists, has become more important than actually verifying the accuracy of those news".
De Jong resumed: "I will mention Gerard Romero's name again because he needs to realize that if he comes out from now on and says incorrect things, I will come out and say that they are incorrect. I will not allow a lie to pass without a response".
De Jong clarified regarding his injury with Barcelona: "I would like to clarify the details of my injury to all Barcelona fans. I am going through difficult times and feel very disappointed. What I love most is playing football, especially with Barcelona and the Netherlands national team, and that is why I feel very frustrated when I get injured".
De Jong confirmed: "I think it was just bad luck or a pure accidental incident. Someone fell on me during one of the training sessions at the World Cup and I felt some discomfort in my knee. I underwent examinations and everyone there told me that it was possible to continue playing despite some discomfort and pain, confirming that the condition would not worsen, and for this reason I continued playing because participating in the World Cup represents a dream for me".
De Jong concluded: "After we were eliminated from the tournament, I returned to the club for more examinations to ensure my safety. The results showed that the injury had worsened and become more serious than it was in the United States. It was a big shock that no one expected, and now I have to stop and focus on the recovery phase".
