Netherlands international Frenkie de Jong has broken his silence with a strong, emotional message to Barcelona's fans, hitting back at reports that questioned his commitment and his injury. Wearing the Blaugrana shirt, he insists, is his greatest source of pride.
The Barcelona midfielder published an official statement on his Instagram account. He began: "Dear fans, I usually don't pay much attention to what is written about me, the team or the club, but recently there has been a lot of speculation about my injury and my situation at Barcelona."
Doubts cast on his loyalty clearly stung. "It is hard for me to see people questioning my relationship and my commitment to the club because of false reports," he said.
He continued: "Football is everything to me, and I have given everything I have for Barcelona and for my country.. that is why I want to share with you what happened."
The truth about De Jong's injury and his absence from competition
The Netherlands international then revealed details of the injury he suffered at the World Cup, explaining that the initial diagnosis had been misleading.
He said: "During the World Cup, I suffered an injury to my knee. After the initial examinations, the doctors told me it was a minor injury and would not get worse if I continued to play."
"The only challenge was playing with some pain, but throughout my career I have done this whenever I could contribute, whether with my club or with my national team," he added.
De Jong went on: "During my holiday, I returned to Barcelona for further examinations, and they showed that the injury was more serious than was initially diagnosed. Fortunately, there is no need for surgery at this stage, and I am now focusing fully on recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible."
https://www.instagram.com/frenkiedejong/?hl=ar
A message of loyalty from De Jong towards the Catalan side
Professionalism was his next point, along with the insistence that events had run beyond his control.
"I work every day to be in the best physical condition possible," he continued. "I take my profession, my body and my responsibility towards the team very seriously. But sometimes there are things that cannot be controlled, and this injury is one of them."
He signed off with a pledge of loyalty to the Blaugrana faithful: "Playing for Barcelona and the Netherlands national team is something I feel very proud of, and my commitment to them will never change.. I will continue to give everything I have for this badge, for my team-mates and for our fans. There are still many moments to create and goals we want to achieve together.. thank you all for your support. I can't wait to return."