Frenkie de Jong says ‘noise’ around him at Barcelona is greater than for team-mates

Frenkie de Jong says he is subjected to more “noise” and scrutiny than some of his Barcelona team-mates, in a clear complaint about the attention surrounding him at the Catalan club.

The 29-year-old Netherlands midfielder made the comments after helping Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the Champions League, a match that marked his 300th appearance for the club.

“I feel there is always more noise around me compared with others,” de Jong told Spanish newspaper Marca.

“There is always some noise surrounding me, especially when I am not there. For one reason or another, it happens during the summer when there are no matches, or when I am injured.”

De Jong has been absent at times because of injury, while his performances and position in the Barcelona side have also been the subject of regular debate.

He said he was now feeling fully fit and dismissed suggestions that he was still troubled by a previous knee problem.

“I feel very good now and very strong,” he said. “Is there noise around me? I have the feeling that people always talk more about me than about others, but perhaps that is simply how I feel when they talk about me. These are things I do not have much influence over.”

“I feel very good. I feel strong and enthusiastic, and I have a lot of motivation. I do not feel any problem in my knee. What happened is in the past.”

De Jong reaches 300 Barcelona appearances

De Jong joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019 for 75m euros and has now made 300 appearances for the club. During that time, he has scored 20 goals and provided 31 assists.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has occasionally used him as a centre-back, but de Jong said midfield remained his preferred position.

“I feel more comfortable in midfield, but I will help the team in any position where it needs me,” he said.

The victory over Aston Villa was particularly significant because the English side had won all of their previous matches in the competition. De Jong said the result was important as Barcelona maintained their perfect start to their Champions League campaign.