Xavi praises Frenkie de Jong, saying he is undervalued
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández praised Frenkie de Jong after his side beat Atlético Madrid on Sunday, saying the midfielder does not get enough recognition. Xavi said players and coaches who work with De Jong appreciate his quality, and that his teammates consider him the best midfielder.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández praised Frenkie de Jong, saying the midfielder does not get enough recognition, after he featured in his side's win over Atlético Madrid on Sunday. Xavi said players and coaches who work with De Jong appreciate his quality, and that his teammates consider him the best midfielder.
Xavi explained that De Jong is a complete player, pointing to his role in closing down space for opponents and creating an advantage in attack and defence. He added that the player can fill different positions: he played at right-back against Atlético and Xavi has also used him as a centre-back at Barcelona.
De Jong is back to full fitness and has been named in the Netherlands squad for their Nations League matches against Greece and Germany. He hopes to play his first minutes for the national team since the World Cup, having recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out at the start of the season. Xavi said the player knows the coaching staff's ideas well and is one of the team's leaders.