Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has criticised journalists for spreading what he describes as false reports about him, saying the stories have damaged his image.
Speaking to Barcelona’s media channel ahead of the 2026/27 season, De Jong said he was particularly frustrated by reports claiming he refused to play against Atletico Madrid in last season’s UEFA Champions League.
The Dutch midfielder singled out Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, accusing him of spreading false information about him. De Jong is set to miss the start of the new season as he continues to recover from a knee injury. He featured for the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“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. It’s bothering me, so I want to clear a couple of things up.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-Gerard Romero- said my relationship with the coach is bad. False. I have a very good relationship with [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” De Jong said.
