FC Barcelona have several players within their squad that many from around Europe would deem worth their attention. Many of these key players within the Barcelona setup often amaze, and are just as regularly critiqued by the media if they fail to perform at their best level consistently.
One of the players who has arguably had to go through some of the worst criticism has been Frenkie De Jong. The Dutch midfielder arrived from Ajax in 2019 and was considered the last major signing from the Bartomeu era.
Perhaps, as a result of his arrival and the hefty fee it took to bring him, De Jong has had to deal with the harshest of criticism. However, Xavi Hernandez remains one of his most vocal supporters and has even defended the Dutch midfielder in his latest press conference, as highlighted by SPORT, when asked about the criticism thrown his way.
In his response, Xavi claimed Frenkie De Jong to being ‘one of the best in the world’, clearly showcasing how highly he regards the 26-year-old:
“Frenkie is one of the best in the world. And he is when he trains. That’s why some people are surprised. They see him train and think: why is he so criticized?”
To further clarify his point as to why players in general who play for Barcelona are criticized more, Xavi stated that the standards are different and the expectations are much higher as compared to their former clubs:
“The environment has a great capacity to undervalue everything. A footballer who is a 10 is an 8. The one who is an 8 is a 6. That’s why it’s the most difficult club in the world for players.”
For now, De Jong remains injured and is working on his recovery in the meantime. El Clasico remains a tough ask of him to mark his return but there is no new update for now and he is likely to miss the next few clashes nonetheless.
