De Jong allays Barcelona concerns after Netherlands withdrawal

Frenkie de Jong has reassured Barcelona supporters that his half-time substitution during the Netherlands’ 7-0 Nations League victory over Greece was a precautionary decision rather than the result of a serious problem.

Netherlands manager Xavi Hernandez said after the match that De Jong had been feeling an issue with his back. However, the 29-year-old midfielder explained that there had been little reason to keep him on the pitch after his side had taken a 5-0 lead into the interval.

“I had just returned from injury and the score was 5-0 at half-time, so it was the right decision,” De Jong told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “There was no problem with it.”

The Barcelona player had only recently returned to action following a lengthy absence caused by a knee injury. With international football involving significant travel and a demanding schedule, De Jong said it would have been unnecessary to expose himself to further risk.

“I had just come back from injury and I was not yet fully ready to play a lot of matches,” he added. “With all the travelling and international games, as well as my injury history, there was no need to take risks.”

De Jong was also pleased with the Netherlands’ collective display against Greece, highlighting the team’s positioning, attacking efficiency and ability to make the most of its opportunities. Scoring the opening goal early had also helped the side settle into the match, he said.

“I think we simply did things well in terms of our positioning on the pitch,” De Jong said. “Of course, we also took the chances we created and scored the first goal straight away, which always helps. Things went well from a footballing perspective and the performance was very good.”

The midfielder described the result as a positive step for the Netherlands, while warning that one convincing victory could not be taken as proof that the team had reached its desired level.

“It is a good step and everything looked great tonight,” he said. “Now we simply have to keep moving forward.”

De Jong said the Netherlands were working to establish a clear identity based on attacking football and control of matches.

“Our vision is clear,” he said. “We want to attack, build from the back, press aggressively in advanced areas of the pitch and impose our control on games.”

He added that the team still had considerable progress to make. The Netherlands’ last genuine test, in his view, had been the World Cup, and the 7-0 win alone was not enough to measure their development.

“We are now in a period of continuous improvement so that we can reach the level that allows us, hopefully within two years, to compete for the title,” De Jong said.