MY ACCOUNT
Barcelona are still adjusting to life without Lionel Messi, so says Frenkie de Jong, who has no intention of leaving the Blaugrana any time soon.
De Jong joined Barca from Ajax in 2019, arriving with high expectations as the Catalan giants planned to push on following their LaLiga success under Ernesto Valverde.
Yet over the subsequent two-and-a-half years, the club have suffered a significant dip in fortunes, with a lone Copa del Rey title and Messi’s exit among the highs and lows since.
De Jong has played under Valverde, Quique Setien and Ronald Koeman before working under current coach and Barca legend Xavi.
He has been linked with a move away from Barca over the last season, but he remains thrilled to be at the club he wanted to play for as a boy, even if the silverware has not flown as freely as it might have done.
“I’m very happy I’m at Barcelona: from a young age I’ve wanted to be here, so in that way it has been a dream come true,” the Netherlands international told The Guardian.
“But, of course, I would have liked to win more trophies than we did in my first two years. I expected more in that sense, let’s put it that way. But other than that, I’m very happy here and hopefully for many more years.”
Learning to live without Messi, who ended his career-long association with the club to move to Paris Saint-Germain last year amid financial difficulties, has been tough, though.
“I never took it into serious consideration, so when it happened it was a shock,” De Jong explained.
“It was a heavy blow for everyone. We still miss him.”
One club great that has helped shape De Jong this term is Xavi though, after the ex-Blaugrana star succeeded Koeman.
“We’re both midfielders, roughly in the same position, so in that regard he can teach me a lot,” De Jong said. “Every coach has his own details, of course.”
Barcelona play Valencia this weekend in LaLiga, as they look to solidify their hold on fourth-place ahead of champions Atletico Madrid.
