De Jong: My True Image Hasn't Reached the People, and This is My Stance on Leaving Barcelona

Dutch player Frenkie de Jong, from Barcelona club, spoke in a press interview, where he reviewed his season with the team, discussed his image among the fans, his stance on criticism, and his future with the club.

De Jong emphasized that he feels his true image hasn't reached the fans correctly, explaining the reasons for this. He said: 'It seems to me that Frenkie's true image hasn't reached the people. I think I could have spoken more at times, because I went through a period where I almost stopped talking to the press, and in the end, that's not good, because people only hear the press's opinion or others and don't really know how you think. There are agents or marketing teams who talk to journalists and make them write well about certain players because they receive information. I know this happens, but I don't feel comfortable.'

The player clarified his stance on the rumors linking him to leaving, affirming his commitment to staying at Barcelona. He said: 'I will not leave, I haven't thought for a moment about leaving.'

De Jong talked about the criticism he receives from the fans, explaining the nature of the club's culture and its relationship with La Masia players. He said: 'The club's culture is closely linked to La Masia and young players, which is very important for Barcelona. I think that's why there is a good relationship within the team and with the fans, and it's natural for people to prefer seeing players from the club. The rest of our midfielders are from La Masia, so it's natural for me to face some criticism.'

He also spoke about his leadership role within the team, saying: 'I think there are different types of leaders. I try to be a role model and talk to my teammates when I see something that needs improvement or where I can help, but I'm not someone who shouts all the time in the locker room or on the field, only when I see something that needs improvement. I don't believe much in the idea of shouting before matches; there are those who shout for five minutes because they're nervous and need to release energy.'

De Jong touched upon the transfer market, affirming that Barcelona needs top-level players if they sign any new player, and refused to comment on Julian Alvarez, noting that Marcus Rashford deserves to continue, before concluding his remarks by not commenting on Real Madrid events, confirming that disagreements happen but don't last long.