Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has taken aim at a journalist who suggested he refused to start against Atletico Madrid in last season’s Champions League.
De Jong was named on the bench for the second leg of the quarter-final tie at the Metropolitano in April and replaced Gavi for the final nine minutes as Atletico held on for a 3-2 aggregate victory despite Barca winning 2-1 on the night.
Journalist Gerard Romero claimed the Netherlands international had opted not to start the game, but De Jong said that was “fake news” and issued a strong riposte.
He said: “There is a lot of noise surrounding me and a lot of fake news. It’s bothering me, so I want to clear a couple of things up.
“Publishing so much fake news does damage to my image. For example, Gerard Romero said I refused to play against Atlético last season in the Champions League. It’s fake news. It’s not true. It’s my dream to play for Barça – of course I want to play in Champions League matches. I don’t understand how he can say that.
“People see that and they get angry with me. We live in a time where it is more important for many journalists to publish something rather than get something out that is true.
“Then he said my relationship with the coach is bad. False. I have a very good relationship with Hansi [Flick]. We talk a lot.
“[He said] that my relationship with the club is bad. False again. I speak with a lot of people at the club.
“Gerard Romero has told other lies in the past. But I am not going to let it slide any more because he has to understand that if he publishes fake news I am going to call him out.”
Barcelona star De Jong ‘p***** off’ with latest injury
De Jong is currently sidelined after suffering a partial tear of a meniscus cruciate ligament during the World Cup with reports suggesting his preferred method of recovery – involving rest and rehabilitation – is at odds with the club’s, who want him to undergo surgery.
Some Barca fans have expressed their irritation and claimed De Jong prioritised his country by playing through the injury rather than withdrawing from the squad and focusing on getting fit for the new season.
De Jong said: “I wanted to get all this off my chest so I can focus on my recovery. I am really pissed off with the injury. What I most love is playing football.
“I had some bad luck; an accident in training. Someone fell on me and I had a small issue with the knee. Tests showed a small problem, but [the physios] told me I could keep playing through the pain. They assured me it would not get worse.
“Playing at the World Cup is a dream, so I did [play on]. I stayed in contact with Barça, came back after and did some more tests, which is when a scan showed the injury was more serious than when we did tests in the United States.”
Barcelona target Rodri to replace injury-prone De Jong
De Jong is likely to be sidelined for several months, continuing a disappointing injury record since moving to Catalonia from Ajax in January 2019.
His frequent spells on the sidelines have prompted Barca to look for a replacement with Manchester City’s Rodri top of their wishlist.
Barca have had two offers for the Spain captain rejected but it remains likely a compromise will be reached before the transfer window closes on September 1.
The defending La Liga champions open their campaign at Elche on August 23. Before that they take on Basel and Egyptian side Al Aly in pre-season friendlies.
